In search of a future
by Sheankelor
Summary: While patrolling for rouge dementors for the Order, Snape accidentally calls a wrong number and gets the Goddess Help Line. What will his one wish be? AU obviously. Occurs during Potter book 5 and after Goddess OVA. Please review, but do not flame.
1. Chapter 1

Chap 1 - One wrong number later...

_In case you didn't know, I don't own either the Potter universe (that one belongs to Ms. Rowling) or the Goddess Universe (that one belongs to Kōsuke Fujishima). The characters have just been telling me stories in my head. _

Urd slid her door shut. The happiness that shone across Beldandy's face as she listened to Keichi tell her about the engine he was designing to work the microbike he was trying to power made her heart ache. _'Their lives are so short. Living here, day in and day out, you don't notice it as much, but... they live to around a hundred years and that is it.' _Urd double checked to make sure the door was locked and sealed. Then she glanced about the room, making sure the seal encompassed the walls, floor and ceiling. Only a Goddess First Class could enter her domain now, and Bel was happily talking to the human she had come to love. Flipping her white hair over one shoulder, she pushed a small knot in the shelf behind one of her many ingredient bottles. The shelf silently swung out to reveal several built in shelves loaded with books. _'Who knows what type of damage Skuld could do if she knew where to find these. Not that she cares too much for potions, but she might be tempted to play.'_ Scanning the titles, she suppressed a shudder at the image of damage Skuld could cause if the younger goddess gave in to that temptation.

Pulling one of the books from the shelf, she started to scan through the pages. _'I have to find it... I have to find a way to keep Keichi around. There has to be a way. I know that Iðunn won't let him sample her apples, at least without His permission. And I doubt that He would give it.' _Closing her book, she slid it back on to the shelf. She knew there was nothing here. She knew every potion in every one of these books, and not one would allow Keichi to stay alive past his normal life span. Nothing that would keep him young with Beldandy. If there was any way known to the Gods and Goddess, it would be back at Asgard buried in Yggdrasil's information banks. _'I have to go back.' _Closing the shelf, she sank next to her table, resting her chin in the palms of her hands. She didn't really want to go back, but the thought of Bel's blue eyes drowning in tears as she held the limp hand of the man she loved convinced Urd that she had to try. There had to be some way to keep him around, and she, the mistress of potions and mystical cures, would find it. With her mind made up, she started preparing her room for her departure. There was no way she was leaving things for Skuld to fool around with.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Severus Snape missed the feel of his robe brushing the across his legs and its rhythmic slap against his ankles as he strode down the road. He attempted to stroll like the muggles around him, but he was too used to having to hurry from his study to his classroom. A quick scan showed that there were no dementors in this section either. _'Dementors roaming around in the Muggle world. This would only happen when Potter and those other two are involved.' _A frown marred his brow. He knew that this time it really wasn't Potter's fault, no matter how much better it made him feel to lay it at the boy's feet. It was Voldemort's.

Stopping on a street corner, his eyes rested on the store front that was selling TVs. _'The muggles use a lot of energy to make their pictures move like the ones in the newspaper.' _Turning his attention back to the task at hand, he set his mind to sensing magic around him. Dementors gave off an ambient magic field. That is partially what gives the feeling of terror when someone is confronted by them. There was something really close, but it wasn't a dementor. His eyes focused on the corner knob of the handrail for the step stairway that led up to the entrance of the TV store. Looking at it carefully, he could tell it was clumsily spelled to make people trip their way up the stairs. Certainly not the safest thing to have about, and definitively not supposed to be here in the muggle world. Reigning in a sigh, he reached into his pocket for some muggle change. Dumbledore had made sure all of them were carrying some, and that they knew the right number to call so that they could get a hold of a squib that was in the Order. They would report it to "Misuse of Muggle Artifacts" without the Ministry being any the wiser. This wasn't the first piece of magic that the members of the Order had found that was in the wrong place. In a near by public phone, he picked up the receiver and dropped the appropriate coinage into the slot. Punching the number on the keypad, he kept his eyes on the problem. Luckily at this time of morning not too many people were entering the store. As the phone worked to send its signal, Snape felt as if something was about to happen.

Urd sat next to a beautiful phone waiting for it to ring. She had accepted being put out of the Administration category so she could do her research without that many interruptions. She knew that the phone hardly ever rang, it was more an exception for it to ring, but she did have to sit next to it and wait, just in case. Actually she was hoping it wouldn't, as it would interrupt her research, and she had just found a small lead. She was scanning through a small treatise by Nicolas Flamel about an recent, at the time, discovery of a Philosopher's stone, its properties and how it was used. _'Bel could easily make the elixir of eternal youth following these directions. I just need to find the stone, or what its true properties are. Maybe I can put one together, or at least the essential elements so that it would work.' _Further looking into the stone showed that Nicolas was associated with the wizarding community of Great Britain. Just as she was beginning her search on this community, her phone rang. With a flick of one hand she sent Yggdrasil hunting for the information while she picked up the receiver with her other hand.

As she spoke she scanned the information that was running across her screen. "You have reached the Goddess Help Line. I shall be there shortly to grant you one wish." The last of the information ran across the screen. It was a rough outline, a place to start once she returned from this unusual phone call. After clearing all her search data, she followed the thread of fate to her caller.

Snape glared at the receiver in his hand. Somehow, he had dialed the wrong number. Even as he prepared to hang it up, something made him stop. _'Goddess Help Line? A wish?' _A power flux caught his attention, drawing it back to the store front. There, in plain view of the two muggles walking by, was a woman coming out of one of the TV screens in the store front window. He tried not to gape at her, but knew he was failing. It wasn't her long white hair, or dusky skin, nor even her rich purple gray eyes that held his attention. It was her body, which was perfectly portioned, but more importantly, scantily covered. Sure, the dark purple dress she wore came down to the black heeled boots she was wearing, one of which stopped at her ankle and the other went up to her thigh, but the split on the side with the high boot went up to the hipbone. And the front dip ended just below the navel. The dress was strapless, with a large yellow and black standing collar the encircled her shoulders. Add the flaring light purple cape, the long fingerless gloves and the silver bracelets, and she stood out like a sore thumb.

Urd glanced about for the man who had called her. Spotting Snape in the phone booth with the receiver still in his hand, she walked over to him. "Hi, I am Urd, second class Goddess, limited license, from the Goddess Help Line, and I am here to grant your wish." She cast her best smile at the man, who had yet to react to her presence.

Snape felt the disbelief well up in him. _'Goddess? Why would a Goddess grant my wish? She is just a witch who needs to be brought in for doing magic in front of muggles.' _He was sure that the couple who had been walking by were still staring in amazement. A quick glance told him otherwise. They were a bit further down the road, acting as if nothing unusual had happened. Somehow she had stopped them from noticing, he was sure. _'It must be a new spell. Probably something whipped up by those Weasley twins. It would be right up their alley.' _Making a mental note to go check it out, a good teacher always need to know what the students were going to try and use next, he hung up the phone before focusing on the woman who was still waiting on him. "You need to work on your apparate spell. Next time you might not be so lucky, and you will be permanently stuck in some window or building."

Urd raised an eyebrow at his "you should know better tone" but decided to let it slide. It wouldn't do to shock the one she was here to grant a wish for. _'Besides, it will make this take longer.' _Flicking her head so that her hair was behind her shoulder, she decided to speed him up. "And you are?"

Severus looked scathingly over her. "Snape."

Urd fought the urge to raise her eyebrow further at his look and his tone. _'Was he really addressing a Goddess like that?' _It made her wonder what he had done to deserve the service of the Goddess Agency. "Your wish?" The question came out blunter than she had expected it to.

Narrowing his eyes, he turned away from her. "I have no wish."

Urd shook her head even though he couldn't see her. His attitude was getting her back up. If he kept it up, she was sure she would zap him just to knock some sense into him. "If you didn't have a wish, you couldn't have reached the Help Line. So, think hard, and tell me the biggest wish you have in the bottom of your heart. I can't leave you until I grant it."

Snape glanced back at her. This was taking too long. He had to get that baluster cap to the Ministry, and report back that there were no demetors in the area. _'A wish... and then she'll leave and I can get done? Fine.' _Folding his arms akimbo, he frowned at her. It was then that he realized that she was eye level to him. "I wish for a cauldron filled with molten gold."

Urd frowned slightly when there was no reaction. No confirmation, not even the attempt to send the wish to Yggdrasil. "That wasn't your true wish." Leaning forward, her frown deepening, she tried not to fry him for wasting her time. "I have a potion to finish researching. Would you please make your honest wish so we can get this done with?"

Snape raised an eyebrow as he wondered if she knew who he was and if this was planned. A quick glance told him that the Gryffindor trio were nowhere to be seen. Not that he really expected it, but habits die hard. "That was my wish, if you can't provide it, then I shall be on my way." Turning away from her, he surveyed the area. Seeing no muggles, he decided to ride the Knight Bus to the Ministry building. Reaching out carefully, he removed the baluster cap from its railing.

Urd watched him with a touch of a frown marring her brow. That cap was spelled, she could tell that from here. She watched him as he tucked it into an inner pocket of the coat he was wearing. Glancing over him, she wondered if he lived in a world that was as starkly divided as he looked. He was dressed in all black. Black shoes, pants, shirt, and coat. His skin was a pale white, as if it barely felt the touch of the sun's rays. Even his hair and eyes were in the monochromatic scheme, so dark a brown that they appeared black. She kind of hoped that whatever his wish was, that it would add color to his world. A sudden gust of wind caused her to look behind her. There was a large double decker bus sitting on the curb.

Snape notice the surprised look that flitted across her face before being replaced by curiosity. Ignoring her, he boarded the bus, giving the driver the sickles for passage. He was not surprised when the white haired woman followed him. She didn't seem like the kind to give up.

"Sorry Ma'am, I can't let you ride."

Snape looked back at the driver in surprise. Anyone in the wizarding world could ride the bus, as long as they could pay the fee. And he knew that, in special circumstances, the driver let some of those who couldn't pay ride anyway.

Urd stepped back from the door. The barrier that covered it wouldn't let her through. Sizing it up, she decided that it would be too destructive to destroy it, so she let the bus doors close without her on the bus. _'And as I am here on Goddess work, I can't go blowing up the scenery...yet.'_

Snape sat in the seat nearest to the driver. "I need to get to the Ministry."

"No problem, Professor." Turning the wheel, the driver headed off towards the Ministry.

Urd watched as the large bus headed take off down the road, bending and morphing around the other vehicles. Moving quickly, she settled onto a spire on one of the skyscrapers and watched the bus drive off into the night. Following the link between her and Snape, she made her way across the city.


	2. Chapter 2

Chap 2 - Unwanted meetings 

Snape clambered out of the bus when it stopped. His slight stumble on the last step he was positive was due to the magical item that he was carrying. _'The faster this is given to them, the happier I will be.'_ He headed into the building to get rid of his magical payload.

"Professor Snape, what brings you to the Ministry?" Arthur Weasley eyed the other man with trepidation. Normally, he was the harbinger of misfortune. With the professor's job as spy, Arthur hardly ever saw Snape darken his door unless something horrible was about to happen.

Snape pulled the balluster knob out of his pocket. "This was in the muggle world. I'm turning it in to you." The metal capper clunked onto the desk.

Arthur eyed it warily. "We would have come and got it, all you had to do was let us know."

Snape's dark brows crashed down as a frown marred his face. He dropped his voice as he spoke. "I tried and I got a wrong number. I think the phone might have a spell on it as well, but I didn't sense one."

Arthur kept his face blank. He knew that Snape knew how to use a phone properly. He pushed a pad of paper and a quill towards the potion master. "If you would jot down the street name and a nearby street number, we'll send someone out to look into it."

Writing quickly in his small, but precise, handwriting, Snape finished his task quickly. He still had to report to Dumbledore about the dementors, get some sleep and start preparing for classes that would be starting soon. "Bye, Weasley."

Arthur nodded at him. "Until later, Snape."

The dark haired man walked out the door while deciding where best to take a floo to. _'I guess I'll go to Hogsmeade. It would be easy to get up to Hogswart from there.' _He headed towards the entry hall with all the fireplaces.

Urd watched the people walk by while she waited on Snape to come back. Everyone was either lined up for a fireplace, or coming out of one. She was settled near the fountain , with her back against the wall. _'This must be the Wizarding Community that I was reading about. They all walk about in robes and pointy hats.' _She spotted a guy with a red and black cape with long blond hair stride down a hall that was just past the security check point. _'Well, at least most of them do.' _She watched as the people quietly parted before the blond man with attitude. As he stepped into a nearby office, she wondered how powerful he was to have that many people afraid of him. She was just about to go find out, when she felt Snape coming towards her.

Severus walked out of the security section looking for a slightly less crowded fireplace line. She caught his eye instead. Her back was pressed against the wall behind the golden statue, while she had her bare leg crossed over her legging covered one. Both of her hands were tucked behind her back as she blatantly people watched. But she didn't seem to notice, or care if she did notice, the people whispering about her behind their hands. Their eyes made contact, and she flashed a smile that could be taken as a come hither. His frown, which had been fading, came back full force as he strode towards her. "How did you get here?" He made his tone be a whisper, but it was a forceful one.

Urd lowed her eyelashes slightly as she leaned forward, placing one hand on his arm. Then, looking up at him from under her lashes, she smiled with the slightest hint of suggestiveness. "We are bound, you and I, by a thread of Fate that can't be undone. It will keep us tied until the end is reached."

Severus felt a chill run through him at her words. Fate had tied him to so many different things, tying its knots all about him. Contracting about him, choking him. He did not want another collar about his neck. Looking into those dusky purple eyes, he felt the rope tightening its hold. "You apparated here?" He was sure that it was impossible for people to apparate into the Ministry.

Urd tilted her head. "I don't know how to apparate, but I do know that until you tell me what you want, I will always be with you." She leaned closer to him, until she was just slightly pressed against his side.

"Ah! Severus, I did not expect to see you here."

Snape stepped quickly back from Urd as the voice laced with superiority came from behind him. A quick mental glance back told him what he already knew. Lucius Malfoy was enjoying the scene that was being played out before him. Blanking both his face and his mind, he turned to face the blond haired deatheater.

"Lucius." He didn't bother giving him a cordial nod of his head. "I was not expecting to be here either, but things seem to happen that managed to bring me here."

Malfoy smiled icily at greasy haired potions master. "Then it must have been fate. I have been sent to find you, but stopped here to handle a small bit of business."

Urd looked the tall man over. _'He stinks as if he is a demon. He smells as bad as Marla. I wonder what his connections is to Snape.'_

Malfoy looked Urd over from head to toe, his condescending gaze telling her just what he thought of her and what he thought she was. "Severus, I didn't expect you to be trapped by the likes of a street walker."

Snape risked a side glance to see what Urd's reaction to that comment. She seemed to be taking it calmly enough. Her eyes were a redder shade of purple than they had been, but other than that she hadn't moved.

_'Control... I must have control. Frying someone in the Ministry of Magic building would not be good. Not someone who is demon tainted. I need to find out who he is working with, and then take them both out.' _As she studied the aura around him, she hoped she wouldn't need to call Beldandy or the Valkaries in on this one.

Smirking slightly, Lucius decided he had put the girl in her place and had neatly jabbed at Severus' wall that he hid his emotions behind. Pointing with his cane, he called Snape's attention to a nearby nook. "Shall we talk over there?"

Without acknowledging Urd, Snape followed the other man.

Urd leaned back against the wall again, this time her eyes were trained just to left of the nook, gazing with rapt attention at the statue that decorated the wall. With the simplest flick of her finger and one wordless spell later, she was able to hear everything that the statue could. Wind spells might not be her specialty, but this one she worked very hard on to perfect up to the point she didn't need to do a full casting.

"Should we honestly be meeting up like this?" Snape's query made Urd wonder what they were up to.

"His Lordship wants to know where you have been. Your presence has been lacking at some of our get togethers." The coldness of Lucius' tone told Urd he didn't really care what Snape thought, but His Lordship was one he wouldn't dare cross. _'I wonder if that is the demon?'_

"His Lordship understands that I am being closely watched, especially while Dumbledore is suspicious. It would not do to have me followed, now would it?"

The blond haired man gave a feral icy smile. "Dumbledore is thought of as a fool by many. Jumping at shadows that aren't there."

Snape frowned slightly."But the ones that watch me believe him. I will not lead him and that brat to His Lordship's doorstep until he is ready for them."

Lucius' smile fell, leaving a bland, haughty expression on the man's face. "I will inform His Lordship why you are abstaining from our outings."

"Let him know that I will attend as many as possible. And now I must head back. Until later Lucius." Turning on his heel, he headed towards the fireplaces on the left hand side of the hall, where the lines were currently short. Completely ignoring the white haired witch that was where he had left her, he headed for Hogsmeade.

Watching him leave by the fireplace, Urd traced his destination. Once she knew it, she strolled up to the fireplaces. _'Wizards actually travel by fire. How nice to be able to do this without to much attention.' _As she waited her turn, she noticed that the other people were throwing a powder into the fireplace, creating a green flame, and then stepping into them. When it was her turn, she took a hand full to study later, and then stepped into the fireplace. She didn't hear the screeches from the witch behind her as she summoned up a flame , it was covered by the song of the flame that surrounded her, filling her, and then she directed it to take her to the place where her tough customer had gone to.

Snape looked about as he walked down the streets of Hogsmeade, heading for Hogwarts. He was sure she was here somewhere. If she could just appear in the Ministry, tracing him to Hogsmeade would not be a big deal. Once he got to Hogwarts, he would be safe. She could not just come onto school grounds and there was no way any witch could magic their way there either.


	3. Chapter 3

Chap 3 - Time to take stock... 

Urd watched as Snape strode down a small, but well tended, road that lead to a castle in the distance. It was quite picturesque with the sun hanging in the sky behind it. Turning lightly on her powder blue one inch pump, she headed for the nearest pub. Since she was going to be here awhile, she decided to wear her power blue business suit, hoping to attract less attention. It was slightly working. A few glances about told her that these people had no fashion sense when it came to normal cloths. They dressed in a mish-mosh of eclectic styles that kind-of went together. Mostly they ran about in robes. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out her wallet. Glancing inside, she remembered that all she had were Yen. Sighing, she knew her drink was going to be delayed.

She stepped into the the nearest opened store and headed for the cashier. They should be able to tell her where to get her money exchanged at. "Excuse me, can you tell me where I can exchange my money to your currency?" She almost said the pound, but she vaguely remembered that the wizarding world used a different currency all together.

The cashier smiled at her. "The best place is at Gringott's, the main branch is in Diagon Alley, in London. We don't get many visitors here who haven't already exchanged their money, so we don't have a branch here. You can use the Floo to go to Madam Malkin's and walk from there. We have a direct connection. Just step in and keep your mind blank, you'll end up at Madam's."

Urd waited to hear what the charge was going to be, but the girl stopped speaking, and gestured her towards the fireplace. As Urd was about to step into the flames, the girl grabbed her arm. "Don't forget the Floo Powder! You'll burn up."

'Maybe the powder is set to the location I need to go? I might as well try it. Then I can see the substance in action.' Taking a pinch of the powder, she tossed it into the flames. When they turned green, she stepped in.

"Remember keep your mind blank!"

Urd whooshed off into the dark. Stretching her senses about her, she tried to figure out how this potion worked. Picking out the different herbs by the scents, she started working out their ratios in her mind. Before she could finalize them, she landed in a fireplace of a seamstress. Stepping out of the grate, she left all the soot behind her. Walking up to the lady who seemed to be the proprietress, she bowed her head in greetings. "Madam Malkin?"

The gray haired witch nodded as she looked the tall dusky skinned woman over.

"The cashier at Bingum's Sweets and Pastries let me borrow her fireplace so that I could get to Gringott's. Where might I find them?"

The child on the stool in front of the mirror cast her an amazed look. Madam just smiled slightly. "You can't miss them. They are the largest building just down on the corner."

Thanking her, Urd walked out of the busy shop and into a busier street. One quick glance about showed her how much her current outfit stuck out like a sore thumb. With a mental toss of her head, she called up a long black robe with lightening bolts streaking across the neckline and down the front center opening. Leaving it open so that her blue business suit was visible, she headed towards the largest building in sight.

As she walked through the wards that surrounded the bank, which she discovered Gringott's was, she assessed where she needed to go. All she wanted was to exchange some Yen into whatever the currency here was. The first thing she noticed was the goblins. The second thing she noticed was that they were running the bank. _'Well... they will at least be honest. If not, their own wards will get them.' _Picking a line, she waited patiently. Her eyes flickered every where, taking in everything. Goblins, those that were not helping customers, were scurrying about as if some one had dropped scalding hot water on them. Whispers were flying about behind hands and then behind doors. As she stepped up to the counter, she ignored all the running about. The only thing on her mind was exchanging her money and finding out where she could find a good bottle of sake.

"How can I help you?" The little goblin voice was clear over the small din in the large room.

"I need to exchange money." Urd waited for the next question. She could tell that there was one.

"From which currency to what currency?"

"From Yen to whatever you use around here."

The goblin blinked as a little light brighten up on the row of blubs next to his elbow. "One moment please. I have to check that exchange rate." Hopping down, he moved quickly to the main desk near a gate. The goblin at that desk followed him back. He was the one that addressed her. "If you could follow me, we can't handle Yen at the front desks."

Sighing as she saw her sake getting further away from her, Urd followed the slightly large goblin into a small room. In the room an even larger goblin stepped forward and bowed slightly towards her. As Urd returned the greeting, he spoke. "What do we owe the honor of having one of the Goddesses come to our humble bank?"

A quick glance around reminded Urd that she was still in the plush, gilded, and heavily warded place. "I just need to exchange Yen for wizarding money so I can buy a bottle of sake. That is all."

The goblin raised a eyebrow. "Yen?"

She was getting tired of this. All she want was a drink and then a place to settle down to think. Her task was getting harder by the minute, but she knew Yggdrasil wouldn't let her leave until it was completed. Pulling out the bills, she held them out. "These Yen for whatever wizards use and an explanation of their money."

The older goblin nodded slightly as he took the bills. "Kepwich, explain the monetary system while I exchange this."

Urd looked at the goblin that had escorted her there. "So, you're Kepwich? My name is Urd. Let's make this quick, I have places to be."

"Of course." He stepped over to the door, and talked to someone right outside. Turning back into the room, he gestured to the pair of chairs against the wall. "Would you like to have a seat, my lady?"

Settling in the offered chair, Urd crossed her legs, and waited. There was a quiet knock at the door as Kepwich settled into the other chair. "Enter." The door opened, revealing the smallest goblin Urd had yet to see carrying a tray. "Set it there on the table, thank you." The smallest goblin scurried out after it was relieved of its burden. Kepwich poured a small cup to the brim and then offered it to Urd. "Sake while we work?"

The first real smile of the day crossed Urd's face. "Thank you, Kepwich."

Fifteen minutes later, with knuts, sickles, and galleons tucked in a pouch in her purse and the knowledge of how to use them, Urd left Gringott's. Walking back to Madam Malkin's she considered what she needed to do. She was going to be stuck here in the wizarding world for a while and she needed to research the philosopher's stone. Maybe she could do some research while she was here. Listening about, she tried to learn more about the world that was different than the one she had lived in in Japan. There was a lot of conversation about some school called Hogwarts, and the name Dumbledore was bandied about, sometimes with derision.

The scent of the demon that she had smelled about the blond haired man, Lucius, wafted past her. Turning her head slightly, she traced the smell to a small dark haired man that was striding down the alley just ahead of her. Matching her pace to his, she followed him. When he turned down a disreputable alley, she slowed her steps. Up until here it could be believed that she realized she was in a hurry, but if she turned it would be obvious that she was following him. As a dark fetid smell drifted from the alley, she knew that she had to press on. The demon might not be here, but clues to who it was might be.

The alley's atmosphere was different from the main thoroughfare. People where quieter, the shops were a bit more closed about what they sold. The window displays were set up in a way that provided privacy for the customer who was checking out. The feel of dark, rich, powerful magic flowed about her as she walked further down the small, crooked walk way. Almost absentmindedly she started identifying what would create that particular feel. Some were powerful potion ingredients, some were curses, some were dark magic. _'Dark magic... as strong as some of the weaker demonic magics that I had seen before I became a goddess.' _As she walked down the alley, she also noticed that the demonic smell was on a few individuals, each one to a different degree. _'It is almost like each one has a demonic item on them... or like they are slightly possessed by the demon, under its control.' _By this time her steps had turned onto smaller and smaller paths until the eaves of the business and houses almost touched somewhere above her head. It was the smell of alcohol that pulled her out of her thoughts. Turning sharply, she entered the squalid tavern that was tucked between a tiny cauldron shop and a rag seller.

The patrons turned to see who entered, and then stared at the woman there.

As Urd crossed the open area to the bar, she could feel the greedy eyes of the current patrons following. _'Please, oh please, do something. I have controlled myself so much today, that I am dying to fry something.' _Setting at one of the cracked and worn stools at the far end with her back to a wall, she caught the attention of the bartender. "I don't suppose you have sake?"

The bartender looked her over before answering. "Nop', none her'."

Urd leaned forward. "Mead? Ale? Rum?" The bartender shook his head no to the mead, but nodded to both the ale and rum. "Rum, no ice."

"That'll be a sickle."

Urd raised an eyebrow at the cost, but dropped it onto the counter. "Don't water the rum down."

Slipping the coin off the bar, he replaced it with a glass of dark rum. Urd lifted the surprisingly clean glass to her lips and sipped. Nodding her approval, she took another sip letting the deep rich flavor roll about her mouth, checking for poisons or other additives. Not that they would affect her, but it would be nice to know if the place was a good spot or a bad spot. _'None... good rich rum, clean glasses and a murderous patronage... this might be a good place to come back to.'_

The few patrons that were still sizing her up decided that she might be too big of a fish to handle and turned back to their own drinks. Three of them had a different idea though, but they knew that they had to wait until she left.

Resting her back against the stout dented wall, Urd watched the shadows of people pass by the smoky dirty windows. Her mind wandered the twisting path of that she had followed to get to where she was now, analyzing all the turns and surprises that she had come across since the phone had rung. What had seem liked days was really only less than one. Savoring her rum, she decided she needed to prioritize things. _'First... I have to grant Snape's wish. Second... I have to track down the demon and put an end to its time here in this dimension. I might have to report that to The Almighty so that I can stay here to handle it. Maybe he will let me so that the Valkaries won't have to come. Maybe I should just call up Mom and ask her. Hild has to know who is playing here... but she most likely won't tell me, she is the Lord of the Demon world for a reason. And to call her up would just add to the problems. This demon seems to control people by marking them, leaving little bits of its power in them so that they do its bidding. I think I remember an older, powerful demon who did that. But it was so long ago, that I can't recall his name. Snape seems to have some connection to the people who are demon tainted. I wonder if he is slightly tainted as well. But a demon tainted person wouldn't be able to reach the Goddess Help Line. Maybe the demon one...' _Clunking her empty glass on to the scared surface, she frowned. She needed to get back to Snape and learn as much as she could from him.

" 'nother glass?"

Urd glance over at the bartender and then down to the empty cup. "No. Thanks." Pulling herself off the stool, she headed out the door. She didn't miss the three shadows that detached themselves from their seats and followed her. Glancing back, she checked out the name of the tavern she wanted to come back to. _'The Broken Cask?At least that is what the image reminds me of.' _She saw the shadows detach themselves from the landing as she walked away. Turning her step into the small corridor that lead to the side of the tavern, most likely where the barkeep received their supplies, she waited. It didn't take long. She spun about as the gravel crunched behind her.

"Can I help you?"

One of the walking rag heaps pulled out a wand and pointed it to her. "Give us your money, and we'll let you walk out of 'ere." The other two wastrels pointed their wands at her.

The bartender watched through the small window that was above the sink. He considered calling the law, but knew it would be useless. Then he saw the smile that crossed the white haired witch's face. His eyes widened as she interlaced her fingers and then flexed them lightly. She looked so confident, but she wasn't holding a wand.

Urd grinned. She could finally let out some of her frustration. It was finally time to fry someone. "Do you know who you are threatening?" Her tone chided them to think about what they were doing, all the while she hoped they wouldn't back down.

"Some rich girl who wandered into the wrong district. Now... 'and us your money." The spokesman flicked his wand, preparing to cast. "Or else."

An almost demonic smile crossed Urd's face, and she decided not to disabuse them of their incorrect idea of her identity. "I'll take the 'Or else'. I've spent too much time in Gringott's today as it is."

The muggers looked at her in surprise as they raised their wands. "Wind..."

The lightening bolts that struck them didn't let them finish their charm. It hit their raised wands and then coursed down until they were all engulfed in an electrical net dancing all about them. Turning towards the taverns side door, Urd left the dirty heaps of the would be robbers lying where they had fallen.

The bartender opened the door. "Are they dead?" His eyes danced over the three smoldering heaps.

Urd didn't bother to glance back. "No." She walked passed him, stepping into the small back room of the tavern. "I'm going to borrow your fireplace." She didn't give him a moment to object. Three steps took her into the blazing fire.

As the bartender watched her vanish into the flames without the help of Floo powder, he was sure that she was not your average witch. Without even a second glance at the smoldering heaps, he closed the door and went back to work.


	4. Chapter 4   A momentary reprieve

Chap 4 - A momentary reprieve

Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Snape settled down in the large padded leather chair. Looking into the fireplace, he thought of the strange witch that had chased him about in the wee hours of the morning, demanding to know his deepest wish. _'I wish I could change everything. From the moment I came here as a student... the moment I became a deatheater... the moment I lost Lily. That is the wish I want, but there is no way to grant it.' _He let his eyes scan across his study; tables set up for the preparations of ingredients, fire pits for different size cauldrons, a desk for reading and grading still covered with the summer's ideas for next year's classes, the walls covered with bookshelves and potion ingredient cupboards. They were also lined with wards, invisible guards that kept people's minds out of there, guarding the minds of the ones who stayed there. Even Voldemort could not reach Snape's mind in the study. It was one of the few places he could actually think. Dropping his head against the high back of the chair, he stared up at the ceiling. _'A wish... anything that I could have...The next three years to be done with. To not have to see the face of my arch-nemesis, James, with the eyes of my only love, Lily. To go back to just being the cold heartless potion's master... or even better yet, defense against dark arts teacher. To stop bullying the students, to stop using them to get back at someone who is long dead.' _

He knew that he wasn't being fair to Gryffindor when it came to points and the number of detentions, and he knew that he was favoring the Slytherins by giving them points and not enough detentions. He knew he was taking his personal anguish out against one boy who didn't do anything against to him. And no matter how much he confronted himself about it, no matter how much the others confronted him about it, he couldn't change it. They put those two houses together in his classes. And Harry was in Gryffindor. So, Gryffindor lost the points and Slytherin gained them. All because he wanted to hurt the person that resembled the one who had taken his heart away. It was a vicious cycle, one he knew should end, but he also knew it wouldn't. It had taken years of self examination, years of trying to change himself, to know that there was no way he could be fair to the boy that symbolized his pain. He had been grateful that the child had at least ended his tie to the death eaters, he had killed Voldemort. But even that was back now. Once again he was living trying to walk on both sides of the line. _'At least he wasn't put into Slytherin... that would have been disastrous for both him and me. I would be destroying my own house, and he would have to see me more than once a day.' _

Standing up, Snape tossed a log on the fire, and then headed over to the table. It was time to set the mussing behind him. It was time to figure out the best way to tell the students how to prepare the "Draught of Peace". It was an exacting potion, but if he wrote the steps out right, even the worst in the class should be able to make it. All it required was for them to read and follow the directions. Potter's year was coming up to O.W.L.S. this year. He has always had good pass rates for his students on the O.W.L.S. test, and he didn't want this year to be an exception. _'The main worry is Longbottom. Granger I know will make an O, but I want Longbottom to at least scrape by. Goyle best be studying as well.' _Lining up the ingredients in the order the were to be used, he began writing the steps as succinctly as possible.

It had taken him a half an hour to write the directions out and have a completed potion in his small cauldron. With a feeling of satisfaction, surely even Longbottom couldn't mess up those directions, he turned to the list that Pomfrey had left for him. Looking over list of potions needed to restock the infirmary, he started mentally checking off the ones he had already completed and the ones that he didn't have all the necessary ingredients or the necessary amounts of ingredients for. There were only a few left that he could work on. Setting up five large cauldrons, he began his preparation. Organizing the ingredients, weighed out and ready to be put in, lighting the fires, and starting the potions were the most calming, mind settling thing he had ever found to do.


	5. Chapter 5

Chap 5 - Intrusions 

In the sheer exuberance of the fire's energy, Urd searched about, hunting for the one closest to Snape. With the smallest tug from the string of fate that connected them, she found him. Letting the tug turn into a guide, she headed for where he was. A shield rose up ahead of her, separating her from where ever Snape was at. Folding her arms over her chest, she contemplated the warding shield. It was completely protective. It prevented people from just appearing on the other side of it. It stopped all transportation magic unless they were approved. Resting her fingertips against it, she gently pushed through. _'Just as I thought, it doesn't prevent energy from coming through.' _Drifting through the energy currents to the other side, she tasted the spells that were woven about the castle, the energy residues from the spells that had been woven in the past. It almost felt like a toned down version of Asgard. Smiling, she headed towards the fireplace nearest to her reluctant customer.

As she quietly stepped onto the hearth, she surveyed the room and instantly felt at home. It was filled with potion ingredients and books. Peace dug its way into her. She was sure that this was someone's haven. Slipping her shoes off, she set them on the stone floor next to the hearth, the toes pointing towards the fireplace. Her hand automatically reached for a pair of house slippers that would normally be kept next to the doorstep for guests. Her fingers found nothing. A quick glance at the floor showed that it was basically clean. Stepping off the hearth, she felt like she should call out a greeting, or at least say excuse me._ 'I am starting to miss Keichi's, that has to be why I am feeling like this. I wonder where Snape is.'_ Her eyes swept around the room once again in hope of spotting the man. _'There he is... right next to a large cauldron. I wonder what he is brewing.'_ She headed over to where he was, glancing into the different cauldrons as she passed. _'Bone growth... fever reducer...nausea reducer... These are all medicinal potions.' _She stopped right next to him and watched as he added ingredients. She knew better than to disturb someone while they were brewing.

Snape felt a presence next to his elbow. He knew that none of the students would come into his personal study without his permission, and that none of the other teachers would not without announcing themselves. That left a ghost. They could enter and leave anywhere in the castle that they wanted to. _'Most likely the Baron coming to see if I want any company. He is the one who wants it... he gets lonely when the students aren't here.'_ The presence wasn't bothering him, just waiting patiently. _'The Baron is finally learning to wait until I have finished.' _He finished as much as he could for the moment. Stepping back from the cauldron, he turned to see what they Baron wanted. He stopped stock still when he saw the white haired witch waiting on him. She was wearing different cloths now. It was a blue suit with an open black robe with lightening bolts streaking around the collar and then down to the hem in the front._'She is back... how did I know she would find her way here? Could she actually be what she says she is? No one, not even Dumbledore, can transport themselves into the castle. And there is no way that they would have just let her walk in here... especially not after all the problems that have occurred around Potter. If she really is a goddess... if she really is here to grant my wish...' _His frown crashed down when he spotted her bare feet on the cold stone floor.

His tone came out as cold as the floor she was standing on. "Where are your shoes?"

Urd blinked. That was not what she expected him to say first. "They're next to the hearth. Your room is quite comfortable." She walked closer to the cauldron that he had just finished putting ingredients into. Holding her fingers just above its rim, she peered down into the ingredients. "It's time to stir this one. Anti-diarrheal potions work best if you stir them a minute after you add the ingredients." Glancing over her shoulder, she judged his reaction.

Snape raised an eyebrow. "But all the potion books say not to stir this one until you add the ginger root powder." He waited on her answer. Something told him she had one.

Urd smiled as she reached for a paddle resting in a stand near the cauldron. Handing him the paddle, she stepped away from the bubbling pot. She was going to let him stir it, it was his potion after all. "Culbreath always did like to leave steps out when he wrote down his potions. He expected people to watch and figure out what you were supposed to do. That, or think and figure it out. And of course, he loved that people would buy his because it worked better."

Snape stepped up to the cauldron. He was going to stir it without her prompting anyway. He had discovered a long time ago that it added to the effectiveness. It was one of the concepts he taught in his N.E.W.T. classes. "You speak as if you knew the man."

"Yes, I did. I got to be on Earth briefly during his lifetime. Studied a bit under him, at least until he started messing up some of the older potions and teaching them all wrong." She caught Snapes scowl as he started stirring the cauldron. "I have no problem with improvements, and not a single issue with changing the older potions. I have a problem when they say it was an improvement, but never brewed the original correctly." She gazed into the now golden mixture. "And he didn't take kindly to being told that he was doing it wrong." Tipping her head, she looked at the stern face of the man she was here to grant one wish to. "You aren't that stubborn, are you?"

Snape rested the paddle back onto its holder. "I am the Potions Master of this school. I have many years of experience with potions... if you are going to start telling me that they are wrongly made, you had best be able to prove it to me."

Urd studied the stern look he was giving her. "This is a school?"

Snape nodded. _'How can she not know that if she really is a goddess?' _

"Then, since you are an instructor here, you are Professor Snape, Potions Master. And I am Urd, Goddess Second Class, First Category, Limited License, and the mistress of potions and mystical cures." She paused for a second. "Right now I am Second Category though. Normally I wouldn't be manning the phones, I would in administration, taking care of Yggdrasil." She cocked a half grin."But I needed time to research a potion I want to make, so I volunteered to work as Second Category so I would have time." She folded her hands over her chest and glared at him. "And then you called... and won't hurry up with this wish request."

Snape blinked slightly. This was the first time he had received a dressing down quite like this. There was no screaming, no picking, no derogatory comments, just a point blank scold given with flashing purple gray eyes. He opened his mouth to take her down a few notches, no one addresses his that way, especially not in his own study, but instead of the scathingly retort, the question he had been thinking earlier came out. "If you really are a goddess, then how come you didn't know this was a school? And why are you standing there in bare feet on cold stone?' He shot a look at her feet. He hadn't realized he was still bothered by that.

Urd lifted a single white eyebrow, and decided that even though she should fry him for putting her off once again, she wouldn't because it would ruin the potions. "I might be a goddess, but I haven't contacted Yggdrasil to find out about this place, or even more about you. This was supposed to be a quick job, so, trusting Yggdrasil to have chosen a worthy person which it always does, I came down to handle this quick wish without researching your background. As to the bare feet... I have lived the past several years in Japan, and I still haven't broke the habit of taking off my shoes when I enter a home. You didn't have any slippers nearby for me to wear, and your floor looks clean, so I am barefooted."

Pulling his wand out, Snape flicked it. "_Accio Slippers._" The slippers that floated through the air were a pair of with green snakes embroidered across them. They had been made for him as a Christmas present several years ago by a student that was trying to butter him up for a better grade in class. "You can wear these." He held the never worn pair towards her.

Urd slipped her chilly feet into the slippers and then wiggled her toes into the soft plush surface. "Thank you." Turning her head slightly, she sniffed the air. "The bone growth potion needs to be stirred and put on a cooler fire."

Snape was already heading towards it before she had finished speaking. As he shifted the cauldron over the lower burning fire that he already had prepared, he accepted that she knew her potions, at least the medicinal ones.

"Now that that is saved, I am ready to hear your wish. I can tell you're a busy person, and you know that I am a busy goddess, so let's get this over with." Urd tapped one slippered foot lightly on the stone floor.

Snape realized that sometime in the last ten minutes he had come to believe her. She really was a goddess sent her to grant him one wish. Maybe it was the mentioning of Yggdrasil, the world tree of the Norse mythos, or that she had appeared in Hogwarts without clearance, which he knew should be bothering him, or just the matter of fact way she dealt with the potions and then talked about the wish in the same tone. Whatever it was, he felt that it might be worth telling her his wish. Now he had to decide which one he wanted to do. Wishing the past to change he knew would not be accepted. The past was the past, it was immutable. But did he really wish to lose three years of his life because he didn't want to deal with Potter anymore? He felt the weight of her eyes on him as she waited.

Shaking his head slightly, he folded his arms across his chest. "I don't know what I want yet." He looked at his shelves thoughtfully, missing the small dance of electricity across her fingertips. "You may feel free to look through my books while I decide. Maybe they can help you with the potion you are researching." He looked back at her.

The lightening stopped dancing across her fingertips. Urd looked at the shelf upon shelf of books. Wizarding potions just for her peruse. "Deal." Turning her back on him, she went to the furthermost shelf, and slipped a book off the top shelf and started reading.

Snape started placing the ingredients for the last potion into the cauldron when he heard footsteps outside his door. He felt a bubble of irritation building up in him. Clamping it down, one should not let their emotions run rampant, he doubled checked all the brewing potions; whatever they needed might take more than a moment. There was a perfunctory knock and then the door opened.

"Severus." Minerva McGonagall sounded relieved as she entered followed by Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout. "Good you are here." She glanced at the number of cauldrons bubbling away. "Do you have a moment?"

Snape glanced about to make sure that none had changed color. He refused to look at the goddess that was curled up in the back corner of the room, nose deep in a book. "What do I own this pleasure to Minerva?" He nodded to both Filius, Pomona.

Minerva couldn't stand still, so she paced over to his desk. Filius watched her pace, and Pomona watched Severus. "Have you heard?"

Snape crushed the welling irritation that tried to force its way out. He was trying to figure out which part of his soul to bare to a white haired goddess and Minerva was playing twenty questions while the other house heads stood watching. Whatever important had happened it should be obvious he had no idea. _'Then again, I did see Dumbledore recently, so she might think that he told me.'_ Keeping the irritation out of his voice, he answered her. "No, I have not heard anything. I came straight here this morning and started preparing for classes."

Minerva adjusted her robe before continuing. Snape glanced over to see the other two were just waiting, slight frowns creasing both of their faces. "The Ministry is sending a person here to teach."

Snape lifted one eyebrow. "And this person is competent, right?"

Flitwick shook his head. "She only received one E in her exams, and that was for charms. Everything else was A. No O in anything."

"Is she taking your place Filius?" Snape was sure that the Ministry wouldn't replace the little charms teacher.

Sprout shook her head. "No, Severus... it is the DADA class."

Snape stood stock still, letting the aggravation grow and then slowly release, flowing from his limbs. He could not afford to hold onto it. "They are putting another incompetent teacher in that class? Are those children going to be ready for their O.W.L.S.? What does the Ministry think it is doing?"

McGonagall flicked a piece of imaginary dust off her robe. "They are watching us, especially Albus. Do you know anything about Delores Umbridge, Severus?"

Snape searched his mind for the name and pulled up a blank. "No, I don't."

The other three nodded, their faces still wary. Minerva squared her shoulders. "We are going to just have to do everything the same as normal. We can't let this get in the way that we are teaching."

Flitwick and Sprout softly agreed. Snape steepled his fingers. "We are all competent in our fields, and have been having a high percentage of our students pass our O.W.L.S. . So, you are right, we should continue what we are doing, but we should also keep an eye on her."

Urd closed the book she was looking at. So far she had not spotted a single thing that talked about the philosopher's stone, but she was enjoying reading about a number of basic potions. The only problem she had was the book she was currently holding was that it was translated badly. She considered going back to her room at Keichi's to getting her copy in the original Norse. Heading towards the fireplace, she noticed the anti-diarrheal potion was bubbling away, turning a dark orange. _'It needs the ginger root now, or it is going to be ruined.'_ A quick glance showed that he was still talking to his other visitors. _'Should I put it in for him, or alert him that it is needed?'_ Tapping the book against her chin, she went to see if the ginger was on the preparation table. Not spotting the powder, she glanced at the shelves. _'Figuring out where he keeps that much ginger will take to long. I am going to have to interrupt him.'_

She crossed the room, stopping near Snapes elbow. The other visitors were staring at her, their eyes wide and full of questions. "Excuse me, Professor Snape, the anti-diarrheal potion is in need of the ginger. I would put it in, but I don't know where you store it."

Snape looked at her and then back at the potion she was talking about. The dark orange color is what made him move quickly. Using his wand, he called the ginger to him as he crossed over to the cauldron.

With the book behind her back, Urd followed him leaving the other guest standing near the desk. "Shall I stir while you pour? We might be able to save it if we work quickly." Setting the book down, she picked up the large paddle.

Snape almost snapped no, but he knew she was right. "Very well. Stir it slowly, mixing the ginger in carefully."

Urd slipped the paddle into the cauldron. "And if you stir it too vigorously it will turn a sickly green and it will make a potion that will make the diarrhea problem the least of your worries. I know."

Snape shot her a reproving look and started pouring. As she stirred it at just the right speed and in pattern that worked to blend the ginger in, the last bit of uncertainty about her potion abilities fade. Her technique showed she knew what she was doing. _'It is a rare thing to get to work with someone who is competent at making potions. Pomfrey is typically busy, as are the other teachers, and the students are just not there. Not yet.'_ The potion slowly turned a golden color.

Urd lifted the paddle out, letting the mixture slowly drizzle back into the cauldron. "Good color, the viscosity is correct, smell is good..." She looked over at Snape. "I declare it ready for the bottle. Bone is most likely ready as well."

Snape shifted the other cauldrons off their fires before summoning the flasks for the different potions. Starting with bone-regrowth, he started filling the flasks. Picking a flask up out of the collection, Urd began with the potion they had just saved.

McGonagall watched as the white haired woman started helping Snape without even asking permission. She was surprised when he didn't snap at her with his typical abrasiveness. "Severus... may we be introduced to your guest?" She glanced over at the potion master, hoping that he would confirm that this wasn't Umbridge.

Snape glanced from Urd to the other professors. _'How do you introduce a goddess? They won't believe it.'_

Urd smiled at the stern looking witch as she sat the last flask down. "I'm Urd, a visiting potion master. I am here to consult with Professor Snape about a potion that I am current researching." She cut her eyes back at Snape, hoping he would back her up.

_'A potion master? She said it was one of her specialties. It could work.'_ Snape caught her look before he turned to face McGonagall. "She is visiting from a small school in Japan, where she is the potions professor."

Urd kept her face blank, and the others nodded a greeting. McGonagall glanced over her. _'She doesn't look Japanese.'_ She looked back at Snape. "Have you alerted Dumbledore about her. I'm sure he would love to meet her." She looked back at the white haired visitor. "He is the headmaster of our school. Will you be staying long?"

Urd tilted her head slightly. "I'm not sure. It depends on how long our consultation lasts. If the matter becomes very complicated, I might be here for quite awhile. But I honestly don't think it will."

"Then we shall let you get to work." Flitwick made a shewing motion with his hands, herding the others out the door ahead of him.

As they walked out the door, Urd picked up the book she had been looking at. "Do you know that this is a very bad translation?"

Snape raised one eyebrow. "And I suppose you know that because you have seen and read an original?"

When she smiled and nodded yes, Snape knew that it really was going to be a consultation happening, but it was going to be him picking her brain.

"I'm going to get my copy, so give me a moment. Then we can talk about your wish and translate this book at the same time." Urd headed for the fireplace.

_'My wish...'_ His mind flew to the obvious reason that the others had hunted him down. It was to see if Umbridge was once a death-eater, or associated with them. They wanted to know if she was connected to Dark Lord. Looking at the floor he whispered without realizing that the words were truly leaving his lips. "I wish I was not between two worlds. That I was not still connected to the Dark Lord. He was finally gone... he vanished on the night Potter reflected his curse. And now he his back, and I am trapped once again between the light and the dark. I want to stand on the side of the light."

Urd's eyes widened as the wish he said echoed about her head. An almost audible click resounded though her and a beam of light shot up from the mark on her forehead, heading up through the chimney before streaking towards the heavens.

Snape's head snapped up as a sound echoed from the chimney. Urd was still in the fireplace, the flames licking about her legs. But there was another light that made the flames appear dim. It seemed for come from her. If he had doubted her, this would have convinced him that she really was a goddess. The light faded quickly, and she walked back into the room.

Urd stared as she stepped out of the fireplace. She hadn't expected that wish, not one that echoed how she had felt so long ago, how she still felt on rare occasions. The whole Lord of Terror incident still rankled her. She looked into the dark eyes that were looking at her, filled with uncertainty, something she was sure no one else ever saw. "You wish was accepted, and our contract is formed. But to do this, I am going to need a bit more information."

Disbelief rushed through him. There was no way his wish could be granted. It would take God to save him._'Or maybe a Goddess?'_ He tried to squelch the tiny spark of hope that was trying to kindle to life.


	6. Chapter 6

Chap 6- Past, present, future... 

Snape had been very wary when Urd said she needed more information. He wasn't sure he could sit there and tell anyone everything that had happened. Pouring his soul out was not in his personality. So when she had requested to find a spot outside so she could cast a divination, he was both optimistic and uncertain. Divinations typically were not clear and could be interpreted in many ways. Even the prophesy that started this whole Potter mess was subject to more than on interpretation, he was sure. They cleaned up before they went to find the spot she wanted. With the vanishing spell Snape discovered that Urd could learn spells very quickly and work them without a wand.

As they were heading out, he was glad he convinced her to wear her normal shoes. The heels clicked lightly on the stone floor as she matched his pace easily. _'I wonder what type of place she needs to cast this divination, and why did she need talc and candles?'_ He lead them out to the courtyard where Madame Hooch taught flying. Snapping a surprised look at the white haired goddess, Snape realized he didn't know if she could fly. As he picked a school broom up out of the small closet where they were stored, he hesitated to grab two. Looking back at her, he asked. "Can you fly on a broom?"

Urd held her hand out for one. "I'm okay at it."

Snape handed one to her. Watching her closely, he waited to see if she was going to be okay before he mounted his. He didn't really want to teach someone flying, especially when that person seemed to be in a hurry.

Urd set the broom at chair height and settled onto it. Gently the broom began to rise into the air.

Snape watched as she lifted into the sky, riding the broom sidesaddle instead of astride. _'That is just okay?'_ She let it hover in the air to the left of him while she waited. _'She is quite good at controlling it.'_ Casting his concern about the broom away with a touch of relief, he joined her.

Urd took them skimming through the sky as she looked for just the right spot. Her hair streamed out behind her as her robe flapped lightly in the breeze she was creating. She finally spotted the perfect place in the center of the forest below them. Tilting her broom she flew down to it. As her feet touched the ground, she knew that she had found the right place, but she could tell that Snape was not so sure about it.

"This is called the Forbidden or Dark Forest. There are many...many dangerous creatures here." His tone was abrupt as he took the brooms.

Urd just flashed him a "I know what I am doing" look as she opened the bottle of talc and started sprinkling it over the ground. Snape watched as she made a circle filled with complex patterns and runes he did not recognize. Shifting his attention away from her, he watched for centaurs or other creatures to come investigate what they were doing.

Urd finished casting her runes. Setting the talc bottle aside, she double checked to make sure that there was no shape not completely enclosed. She knew it would be dangerous to leave any place for the power she was about to summon to escape. When she was sure all was safe, she picked up four flatish stones and placed them in the small shapes that she had created at the four cardinal points. The one to the north was a new leaf, the one to the south was a root, the one to the east was the sun, and the west was a star. She then set four candles on each of the rocks. Stepping back she surveyed her preparation. It was ready.

She turned her attention to Snape. "I need something connected to the Dark Lord. I don't suppose you have something that once belonged to him, do you?"

Snape tried not to stare at the calm person that was radiating more power than he had ever sensed in Dumbledore's presence. All the sudden the Forbidden forest didn't seem so dark. Even the centaurs would think about messing with her. "I have nothing that was his. So, this will not work?" He gestured to the complex design on the clearing.

Urd looked at him for a moment, wondering if he was trying to hide that he was carrying the demon mark on his arm., or if he honestly didn't think it was something that fit her criteria. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, she let a small smile slipped over her lips. "You do have something. It is on your left arm. Go stand in the triangle on the other side of the circle. The one in the upper branches of the tree."

Snape barely stopped himself from covering his arm. Looking at her for a full minute, he decided if he really wanted to stand in a power circle that he didn't recognize. The desire for his wish to be granted won over his hesitation. Once he was in the indicated triangle, she stepped into a squarish shape on the other side, this one nestled in the roots of the massive tree that was outlined in talc. A star shape was between them, the bottom points rested against his triangle and the top touched her square. It appeared to be carved in the truck of the tree. With the barest glance from the dusky purple eyes, the candles lit themselves. Raising her hands, she let the smoke from the candles curl about her empty hands filling them. She then released the smoke into the star. Snape noticed that the candles were no longer burning.

"Show me the tree... the past, present, and future." Her voice was at once seemed to ring and be a whisper.

The smoke coiled and coalesced into pictures. The first to stroll across was a young man that Snape recognized as the Dark Lord. Snape watched as the smoke showed the highlights of the past. When it showed the death of Lily and the survival of Harry, he wanted to run, but found he couldn't move. The smokey tale then skipped about, showing Harry's fight for the philosopher's stone, and then against the basilisk, and finally what had happened in that cemetery at the end of last school year. Then the smoke spread back out to fill the star shape before coalescing once again, but this time it was a form that Snape knew, the current form of the Dark Lord. Their wasn't much to see here, just a deformed man sitting in a chair petting a snake. The smoke fluxed once again, and this time it showed Harry and the man together before it faded, the smoke settling onto the ground.

Urd watched as the smoke told the story she had asked for. She noticed that Snape had tensed when the green-eyed boy had appeared. She would have to ask him about that later, as she was sure that the boy was important. As she watched the Dark Lord, she noticed a small shadow following him. It became more pronounced the further in time the story went, until the shadow was completely merged with the man. It was right before this happened, when the shadow was the clearest, that Urd realized she had found her demon. And she now had the information to determine who it was. The last image caused a chill to run through her. She had to use the boy to defeat the man. It was only then could she take out the demon. Once the smoke settled, she decided to use the vanishing spell she had learned, and cleaned up all the talc. Picking up the candles, she gave Snape a moment to recover.

Tucking the candles and the talc bottle into the small sack she had carried them out there in, she turned to face him. "Who was the boy?"

Snape felt his lips compressing as he lost his fight with his dislike for Potter. "His name is Harry Potter. He is a student here."

Urd raised an eye brow as she heard the contempt in his voice. "He is going to be needed to defeat the Dark Lord. I'm going to have to do some more research, and make a sealing container... and then we are going to have to arrange Potter and the Dark Lord to be in the same place at the same time.

Snape felt a frown folding his brow. "Is there no way that he could be left out?"

Urd shook her head. "The tree of fate does not lie. Those two are intertwined and have to play their parts. But the rest of the players, you and me, can change how it might end. Are you ready?"

Snape felt a sarcastic grimace curl his lips. "I have been playing this game for a long time, I am ready for it be done."

Urd nodded. "Then let us begin."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7- Settling in and the Headmaster

The flight back to the castle was done in complete silence as both were lost in their thoughts. Urd was trying to pummel her memory to pull up the demon. She was sure that she had met him before she had left the demonic realm for heaven. There was something familiar about his scent that tickled the edges of her mind, but wouldn't come completely out.

Snape was just as quiet as his mind roamed with in the protective walls that habitually covered his thoughts. It had been something else to see the old Riddle walking about. The images had started in the time period before he had created the death eaters. It was before he had met the Dark Lord. Lucius was the one that had taken the time to talk to him in the Slytherin common room. Now Snape could tell it was because he was already attempting to use him. He had already shown an aptitude for understanding the dark arts, and Lucius had wanted to pluck his knowledge. It might have been on the Dark Lord's orders. The smoke had also shown when Riddle changed in to the Dark Lord and the creation of the death eaters. That was the Dark Lord he had met, the one that had wanted him to join, him who was a half-blood not a pure blood. It had flattered Snape, but also had made him suspicious. But one thing that Snape had been sure about, the Dark Lord was going to go far. And he wanted to impress Lily, so he hitched a ride on the other man's robe so that he could also achieve greatness.

Snape looked down at his left arm. That mark had come as a surprise, but it also became a mark of honor. Only the Dark Lord's chosen were able to wear it. He had been so sure that Lily would be impressed. Instead she had scorned him and fled even closer to Potter. _'And that is what is what comes from trying to come to greatness by using someone else's.'_

Looking at the whipping white hair ahead of him, he wasn't sure if he was ready to believe that using Harry Potter was necessary to kill the Dark Lord. Even as he thought that, he remembered the confidence that she had when she told him that the boy was needed. His doubt wavered a bit even as he didn't want to believe that his wish would be granted by someone else's destiny. Why couldn't he be the one that catalyzed his own wish to fulfillment? _'I've accepted her help, mainly because she has left me no choice, but to drag the boy into it... Everyone is dragging Potter into this. Is there really no way for him to escape this fate that is laid before him?'_

Powder blue heels clicked lightly on the stones of the courtyard path as Urd touched her broom down. Her robe settled about her legs as she dismounted and turned to look at the dark haired man that was just coming in for a landing. "Where do the brooms go? And can I borrow one anytime?"

Snape opened the little closet where they were stored. "These are here for anyone's use. But they are also used for training students on how to fly. That is their top priority. Madame Hooch would be please to let you use one at any time as long as they are not currently in use."

"So, as long as they are not in use, I can borrow one?"

A speculative gleam appeared in her eyes that Snape was a bit concerned about. The look was a bit too close to the Weasely twins when they were contemplating mischief. He decided he needed to change the subject quickly in hopes of derailing the mischief that was brewing. "And now I need to introduce you to the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. Then we need to settle on your sleeping arrangements. And handle your luggage." Snape paused as he looked at her, his eyes widening. He had yet to see a trunk. "Do you have any?"

Leaning forward her robe parting slightly, Urd cast him a winsome smile. "We'll think of something."

Snape refused to let her provocative behavior affect him. "As you appear to be partial to black robes, and we are about the same height, I can lend you a few until you have some made up."

Straightening up, Urd felt a spark of pleasure. Here was a man who could handle her behavior and not faint. It made her want to see how much he could really handle. But she knew that it had to wait. There was still much to be done, and it was getting late. "Don't worry about the clothes and stuff. I'll pop over to Keiichi's and gather some of my stuff. And as for robes, that will be easy to put together."

"Keiichi's?"

"Yep... that is where I was staying at in Japan. He lives in a very nice temple. It was quite soothing..." Urd let her sentence trail as her thoughts of how she and Skuld had broken the tranquility scampered across her brain. And then there was the time that Peroth had come. As well as all the times Marla had appeared. Not to mention her mother, Hild.

"Very well then, let's go see Dumbledore and go from there." Snape headed into Hogwarts, watching her out of the corner of his eye to see her reaction. On the way out, she hadn't seen the moving staircases.

Urd followed the potions master into the castle. Catching his glance, she was sure that she was about to see something surprising. The moving pictures almost startled her. She wasn't sure if the ghosts were trapped in them, or how they were bespelled, but she was sure she was not having her portrait made while she was here. It wasn't until the entered the main hallway that she stopped and stared about. The staircases were moving.

Snape stopped when she did, watching her face. Part of him was pleased that she was amazed by this after all the power he had sensed in her earlier.

Urd watched as one of the staircases swung over the middle of the empty space making the last step a real dozy if someone were not paying attention. "Has anyone ever fallen?"

"None in recorded history, or none that will admit it."

Shaking her head lightly, Urd headed for them. "So, which path leads us to the headmaster? Wouldn't it be easier just to fly up there? "

Snape raised on eyebrow at her. "You should not use a broom inside the school itself. This way." He lead the way to Dumbledore's office. "There are even more wonders in this school. The most famous is the ceiling of the dining hall." As he neared the gargoyle that guarded the entrance to the Headmaster's office, he wondered how he was going to say the password without her learning it. His worries were unneeded though because the passage way was open when they arrived. Stepping through the door, he gestured for Urd to follow.

Urd hugged the shadows as she entered the office. She wanted a moment to look about and sense what was there before she made herself known.

Dumbledore looked up at Snape's entrance. "Ah, Severus. I was just about to send Minerva to find you." He looked at the other teacher's that were arrayed about his office. "Now that we are all assembled, I have something important to pass on. The Ministry has decided on our new DADA teacher." His feelings about his power being upsurped was not evident in his voice. "They are sending the Minister's undersecretary, Delores Umbridge. How much she is here to watch us, I think we can all guess, but how she will go about it is unknown." He waited for the muttering that broke out to die down before continuing. "We have nothing to hide from the Ministry, and we should do all we can to make her stay here as pleasant as possible. So, we shall continue as we always have. Go and prepare for your classes."

As the professors milled about, finding their way out the door, Urd worked her way away from it. She noticed that they were so lost in their thoughts or discussions that they never noticed her.

"Severus, would you wait a moment?" Dumbledore's request was hardly heard over the din of the others, but Snape heard him. A few of the other professors stayed as well.

"Sir?"

"Minerva tells me that we have a visitor?" Dumbledore looked up at his potions master questioningly.

Snape nodded slightly. "Yes, she is a potions master from a small school in Japan." He glanced about the room, spotting Urd looking fascinatedly at some of the trinkets that Dumbledore had scattered about his office. "Professor Urd, would you please join us? "

Urd looked away from the mechanical nightmare that Skuld would have loved and walked over to where they others were waiting. "Of course, Professor Snape."

Dumbledore looked at the tall white haired witch. Something about her made him think she was hiding something. He stood up and held out his hand. "Professor Urd, I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Urd looked at his extended hand for a brief moment. _'I need a first name... and a school name. How close can I come to the truth...' _She was supposed to be from a Japanese school so a Japanese name would be fitting. Bowing towards him, she ignored his hand. "I am Megami Urd, potions master of the Kami School. And the pleasure is all mine. It is wonderful to meet such a powerful, influential wizard."  
"Megami, what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?" Dumbledore kept his doubts about this person locked behind the sparkle of his eyes. He wasn't sure if he could trust her. Was she also from the Ministry, here to keep an eye on them?

Urd suppressed the urge to laugh behind her hand as the Headmaster called her Goddess. True it was her title, but it was humorous to her to be called just that. "Please, sir, call me Urd." She ignored his slightly put out expression. She knew if he continued to call her Megami, the Japanese word for goddess, that she would end up cackling madly or shocking him for not knowing what he was doing. "I am here to collaborate with Professor Snape." She glanced over at the slightly frowning potions master.  
Snape stepped into the well disguised interrogation. He was going to have to find out what she had found amusing about her name later, but now was the time to distract Dumbledore before the sharp older wizard became more suspicious of the goddess who was trying to settle into the castle. "I requested her presence when I discovered that some of our potions books were poorly translated." Surely the idea of inferior quality books at the school would distract him.

One of Dumbledore's eyebrows rose, and McGonagall looked surprised. Flitwick tipped his head slightly, studying the visitor instead of Snape. Pomfrey asked the question that was in Dumbledore's mind before anyone else could. "What was mistranslated?"

Snape looked at the mediwitch. "Nothing that will affect the infirmary, Poppy."

Urd quirked the side of her mouth into a half smile. So this was the person all those potions earlier were destined for, at least for her to administer. "I don't know about that. There are some good healing potions in there. You never know what you are going to need, or when you are going to need them. That was one of the Norse philosophies. They were always trying to be ready. There is even a potion for someone struck by lightening." Her eyes took on a unusual glint. "Of course it wouldn't work if it was Thor's" _'Or mine'_ " but they already knew if you angered a god that you didn't have much of a chance anyway."

"Norse?" Dumbledore looked her over briefly. "But I thought you were from a Japanese school."

McGonagall thought that coming from Scandinavian fit her a bit better.

"She might be teaching in Japan, but Norse is her specialty." Snape stepped smoothly into the gap.

Urd smiled at him. "Old Norse, both versions, as well as all the other in between Old Norse up to their modern language is my specialty. Both spoken and written, especially the runic language. Runic languages are wonderful. I have studied them for quite a long time." She leaned forward, resting her hands on the desk, doing her best to look earnest. Her bracelets clanked against the back of her hands. " That is why I am in Japan. There language is slightly rune like. I am currently working on learning ancient kanji. I have mastered the current language, but I am still studying their ancient writings and potions. I agreed to come here because Professor Snape called me. I just couldn't refuse." She flashed a coy look out of the corner of her eye at the dark haired professor who was standing next to her. "And then he offered to help me with a potion that I am currently researching and working on."

Pomfrey looked from Snape to the dusky skinned woman. "And can we know what potion you are researching?"

Snape looked at Urd as if asking her permission. He really just wanted to know what she was researching, and something told him that they were not about to hear the truth.

Urd nodded to him slightly while she straightened up, her eyes taking in the curiosity that was clinging to the other woman's face. "I am trying to develop a potion that would allow one to control the level of fever reduction. Most potions just get rid of the fever. But you must know that fevers are helpful in the healing process. So, if there was a way to lower a dangerously high fever to a good low fever, that would be very helpful. So when Professor Snape, his ability is renowned though out the potion making world, requested that I help him, I of course agreed, but I did ask that he help me as well."

Dumbledore steepled his fingers as he contemplated the two potions masters that stood before him. "This is all good, Severus, but I'm not sure that this year is the best for this, what with our newest teacher and all." He was still uncertain about her actual purpose at the school. Something that she was saying was not ringing completely true.

Urd bit back her aggravation. She had gone through all the trouble to spin a lie worthy of Marla, and he was still trying to send her away. She knew that was what he really wanted to do. For some reason he didn't trust her. _'And if he keeps trying he is going to trigger Yggdrasil's safe guards that will try and keep us together until the wish is granted.'_ That was starting to worry her. There was no telling what Yggdrasil would do.

Snape looked calmly at the older man. He was not going to let this or any other wizard take away his chance of having the wish he truly wanted granted. "I'm sure that her presence would not cause the Ministry any problem. She is here to help clean up a mistake that could cause issues if it is not resolved."

Dumbledore sighed. "Be that as it may..." He was cut off by Fawkes trill. Glancing up he watched as the phoenix soared over his head and flew circles around the visitor. _'Fawkes likes her? So... what ever she is hiding can't be that bad... there is no way that Fawkes would greet one who works for the dark.'_

Urd started when she heard the notes of the phoenix's song. It was a greeting that she hadn't heard in a long time. Smiling, she watched the graceful bird dip about her as she returned his greeting in Old Norse. "It is a pleasure to see you as well. So, who is the one you call friend here?"

Fawkes trilled his answer before landing on her shoulder and rubbed his head into her cheek. "So, the old man must be okay to have befriended a creature of fire. Is he also an opponent of the darkness?"

Fawkes trilled a yes in reply.

Snape was not the only one staring at her as she seemed to be holding a conversation with Dumbledore's phoenix. He was just the only one that didn't have a surprised look on his face. Instead he looked like he was patiently waiting for her to finish her conversation.

Urd looked at the man who was the friend of the bird on her shoulder. Running a finger down the fire creatures back, she laid a small blessing and a sigil of protection. "You have a wonderful friend here. It is not often I have the pleasure of meeting a friend of a phoenix." Her tone was richer, fuller than the one she had used before. Her fingers slipped under Fawkes feet and she held him out to his friend. "He is a beautiful animal. Has he been in your family for long?"

As he reached out to accept Fawkes from her, Dumbledore noticed how much the phoenix was glowing. Fawkes was telling him not to send her away. Giving in, he knew he would let her stay. He trusted the birds judgment far more than his own. "Not long, but this little one has been a true friend." He glanced up from Fawkes to Snape. "Severus, she can stay in the spare room near yours. I hope that you can help us with this translation issue. It would be horrible if it was left until something bad occurred."

Urd nodded her thanks. "Would it be okay if I observed a few classes here? It would be an invaluable experience to take with me."

"I do not mind, but you must have permission from the teacher of that course." Dumbledore glanced at his other teachers. The main ones had remained.

Flitwick smiled at her. "I would not mind you observing. Come anytime." McGonagall nodded her agreeance .The others did as well.

Urd smiled as she thanked them. Now she might be able to observe Potter and determine how to get him and the Dark Lord together.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 Learning lessons

Leaning back in her chair, Urd surveyed the collection of books scattered across the small table that she had moved into her room. In a few minutes she had to head out to observe Snape's fifth year class. They were supposed to be getting ready for a large test called their O.W.L.S. . It was also the class that had Harry Potter in it. This was going to be her first time observing any of the classes as her main focus up until now was attempting to identify the demon that she has been sensing and working on the translation of the potions book. _'It also allowed the students to have a chance to settle in and show their true natures. Though by fifth year they should be quite settled.'_.

Standing up, she started collecting the books. There was no way she could leave these out. Two days ago her room was searched. Luckily at the time all she had out on the table was the potions book she was translating for Snape. _'But that was all I needed to know. Umbridge wants to know what I am doing. It is worse than having Skuld snooping. She at least has a good heart even if misplaced intentions. This person...she is quite dark. I would hate for her to find these books. There is no telling what havoc she could wreak with the demonology bloodline books. I had to convince them to let me bring them down here, and I'd hate to have to explain what happened to them.'_ Placing the three precious books into their specially prepared storage chest, she spelled it with a locking enchantment as well as reset the protective charms that would require a Goddess First Class to break. The others she placed on a bookshelf with a look away charm.

Picking up the short slender stick that was resting on the side of the table, she studied it. When Snape, on the way back from the meeting in Dumbledore's office, advised her to get a wand, at least a fake one, she hadn't been certain she needed to. Since then she was glad she had. The wood felt smooth under her fingers. It had taken her a few hours to polish the twig to this smoothness, but it had been worth it. Not one of the professors had tried to figure out what her wand was made of. She should be glad of that. Sure, they could probably identify it as ash wood, but the amount of power residing in that small twig would cause them to wonder. She seriously doubted any of them had seen a part of a tree that resided in Asgard. She had picked it up while she was there collecting her research materials. _He_ had said nothing when she took it with her also. She tucked it into the inner pocket of her robe that was hanging on its hook. Pulling her hair back into a red scrunchie, she slipped on her black robe with red flames leaping across the hems. Her red heels clicked on the ground as she headed out the door. As she walked the short path from her room to the potions room, her mind hit the highlights of the last week.

On the day after Snape made his wish, she meet Professor Umbridge. The newest professor was having a group of men maneuver her belongs into the school. She personally was carrying a small bag that she held onto protectively. Something in that bag was tainted. Whatever it was, it had been used for some type of dark ritual. She wondered if the toady woman even knew. Urd hoped she did, since , from all that she had heard, this woman was to be teaching the defense against dark arts. She wondered if the class covered sealing demons. She had walked over to ask her to see what it was when everything changed. The memory swept over her completely.

OoOoOoOo

"And who are you?" Small eyes swept over Urd, taking in the black skirt and white button up shirt with a dark lavender robe that was on, but opened in the front.

Urd blinked as she heard the mousy voice that squeaked out of that toad shaped person. The match was so incredulous that she was sure that the lady had either been breathing in helium or was pranked.

The small eyes got even smaller as the lady frowned up at the taller person. "Not answering me? Do you know who I am?"

The menace that was in that girlishly high voice brought Urd up short. "Aren't you the new DADA professor?" When the smaller woman smiled gloatingly, Urd continued. "Then surely you should be able to cancel the prank on you that has messed up your voice. I can't believe you would leave it like that. Would you like me to see what I can do?" She pulled out her newly polished wand, prepared to cast an all purpose null spell. Urd was sure if she aimed it just right, it would nullify the dark energy on whatever was in her bag as well.

If venom could be shot out of eyes, then Urd knew she would have been drowned in the substance. "My voice? This is my voice! There is nothing wrong with it. And are you pulling out a wand on me? Just what do you plan to do with that? I will have you up on charges. I am a the undersecretary of the Ministry himself. You can loose your wand."

Urd slid her fingertips over the glossy wood that she held. The motion calmed her slightly, reminding her that she was there for a purpose, and it wasn't putting toady women in the proper place. Putting up her wand, she gave the obnoxious new professor her coldest look. "I told you why I pulled it out. It was an offer to help you. But I see you would not ever need help as you are an _undersecretary_." She tilted her head just slightly to the side, her hair slipping over one shoulder as her eyes narrowed. "You must be an excellent time manager to be able to be both an undersecretary and a professor." She then turned on her heel and started walking away.

"Stop!" Umbridge's order crackled across the courtyard. "Did I say you could walk away?"

The sky darkened slightly as lightening danced across Urd's hands. She stopped, wondering if she really should. The only reason she could think of stopping was the same one that told her she should keep moving. Every professor, even the Headmaster, was worried about what this person said. Looking at her hands, she tucked them into her robe before she turned to face the minor flunky with big aspiration. Standing, her weight all resting on her left foot, she waited. The sky darkened even more.

"Well, what do you need to say to me?" Her eyes raked of the white haired woman. When Urd didn't answer her she continued. "Tell me your name and position at this school."

Urd could feel the electricity in the air about her, begging for an outlet. And the perfect one was right before her. Raising her eyes to the sky, Urd noticed that it had become overcast. "What do I need to say? I think it is that we should continue this inside."

"Inside! I shall have my answer here!" Her voice was practically a screech.

Urd glanced up at the sky once again and noticed that even the less prudent students were at least watching the scene from whatever shelter was available. The others had found their way inside and were peering out from the windows. "Here? Fine, you shall have it." Thunder rolled across the sky as the lightening bolt slammed into the other woman. As Umbridge was frying, Urd answered her. "I am Urd, Second Class Goddess, limited license here to grant a worthy person their wish." When the bolt died out, she continued. "I am also consulting with Professor Snape on a potion. I hope you are quite satisfied." Walking away, she left Umbridge smoldering in the courtyard.

The whole lightening incident was discounted as an freak natural accident, and Umbridge had been sent to the Mediwitch quickly. Madame Pomfrey had her right as rain before lunch time. Even so, Umbridge blamed it all on Urd.

OoOoOoOo

Urd stopped outside of Snape's classroom door with a slight smile on her face. She doubted that Umbridge knew how right she was. There was so much spell energy just hanging around here, she was going to have to be careful. She hadn't really meant to bring up that thunderstorm.

Opening the door, she stepped inside. The smell of potion ingredients filled the air. _'I wonder how long this room has been used to brew potions. How many mistakes has it seen? How many geniuses have sat at one of the tables?'_ Glancing about, she noticed that Snape was not there already. Raising an eyebrow, she strolled up to the front of the room. There was a large demonstration table with a board behind it. Tucking her hands behind her back, she looked through the ingredients that were stored in the large cupboards that filled the walls. As time ticked by, she began to wonder if she was in the wrong place. But the sound of hurrying feet reassured her. Kids, teens really, bustled into the room, filling it. Gyrffindor on one side and Syltherin on the other. _'Green and Red... they are Christmas colors. But from all I've heard, they don't get along very well. '_

One of the Slytherin's with slicked back blond hair strode up to her with two goons trailing behind. His eyes raked her up and down, lingering on the red that she was wearing. "Professor Snape will be here shortly, do you think you should stay? He doesn't care for intruders into his domain."

Urd leaned down until she was eye level with the brat. "He doesn't?" A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "You are a Slytherin?" The blond boy nodded as if it should have been obvious.

Malfoy looked her over as he nodded to her question. Then he glanced back at Crabbe and Goyle. "I guess they don't teach intruders how distinguish between the different houses."

Urd straightened up and looked down her nose at him. "No, they don't. But sometimes they have unique gifts... such as drawing venom from human snakes." She let her sentence hang slightly as she watched the others green students settle down in their sets. The boy's face froze into a sneer. "So, are you going to tuck in your fangs, or shall I draw your venom? I wonder what type of antidote could I make with it, hm?"

Draco's eyes narrowed as he stood a touch straighter. "Draw my venom?" His eyes swept over her, contempt clearly shown on his face. "I am Malfoy, You had best watch how you deal with me."

Tipping her head slightly, Urd showed him what a condescending look really looked like. "Malfoy? Little one... I have stood before the fangs of Jörmungandr, Migard's serpent himself... you are infinitesimally small in comparison."

Snape, who was watching the exchange from the door, decided that he had better step in. "I think anyone would be small compared to the World Serpent, Professor Urd." He made sure to put just enough condescension into his tone.

Urd looked up at as his voice broke the tension, or actually created a different type of tension, in the room. She watched as students sat down and seemed to prepare to focus. She could tell that they were waiting to hear how she would answer. "You are right, Professor Snape. Fenrir is about the same size, but once again, the rest of us are small in comparison."

Snape nodded slightly towards her before turning to the students that were soaking in the exchange. "Today, as you have already seen, we have a visitor. This is Professor Urd of the Kami School in Japan. She will be visiting us for a while and will also be sitting in on some of your classes this year." His eyes skated over the whole class as he continued his introduction. "You are expected to show her the same respect as you give to all the professors in this school." Urd noticed that most of the students nodded, but Malfoy and his crew didn't. "And now Professor, I know you have missed the classroom these past couple of days, so I am willing to let you teach this group today. The board is yours." As he stepped back, propping his back against a wall, he watched to see what she would do in an unexpected situation.

Urd looked at Snape for just a brief moment before walking to the front of the class. She could tell he was testing her. _'So... if it my chance to teach, what should I teach them to make...'_ Closing her eyes, sorted out the ingredients she had seen in the cupboards. Looking out over the expectant group on one side and skeptical group on the other, she started. "At my school, we do not face OWLS, or rather our OWLS contain different potions than you must learn. But, the ability to make a potion is the same. As you are fifth years, that means you should have some modicum of ability. So, let us make a potion that will test your abilities." Pulling out her wand, she flicked it at the cupboards while calling out her ingredients one by one. "It is very simple to make a gender switching potion, but it is easier to mess it up. The ingredients are simple, the amounts are standard, the cooking time is set. This potion relies completely on your ability to follow the directions. So... let's see how you do." She flicked the wand towards the board while she told her recipe to appear there. Looking back out at the class, she smiled almost sadistically. "Good luck."

Snape stared at the recipe that filled his board. It was one he had never seen before. _'Gender switching. This is going to be an interesting couple of days until they bored with it.' _Settling back, he watched as Urd cruised the room, gently reminding Longbottom to follow the directions and not to get distracted by the ingredients. Praising Granger on her exactitude, and scolding Malfoy for trying to have someone else make his potion for him. All in all the class went successfully. And more importantly, he was sure she had a chance to talk to and learn a bit about Potter without his issues getting in the way.

Urd watched as the class filtered out. On the desk were vials of potion, each marked as to which student brewed it. She could now understand why Snape came back from classes seething with frustration. They couldn't follow directions. Or, they would rather play instead of focusing. And this was a fifth year group.

Snape cleared his throat beside her. She looked slightly dazed, but she had handled the group well. "There is a an antidote to this?"

Urd tried to resist picking on him. His face was so blank, but the undertone of his voice, hidden in the overtone of asperity, was a touch of true worry. "Yes, there is. Shall I write it out for you?"

"As I guarantee that there are going to be some students changing gender unwillingly by nightfall, I hope you can brew it quickly." He raised a questioning eyebrow at her. He could just see _those_ twins getting a hold of this one. "The recipe indicates that it could be given in food, and it is unnoticeable if it is given that way, right?" He watched as she nodded yes. Dinner for the next few evening would be a cautious affair. "Is there a way to check to see if the food is contaminated with it?"

"None that you or any human can do." Urd watched as his face paled slightly.

"Then it shall be a interesting dinner tonight. I would suggest making that antidote quickly."

Pushing off of the demonstration table, she cocked a smile at him. "I'll get right on it, Professor." She headed for the door. Stopping on the way out, she turned back towards him. "Oh, by the way, Granger's is the only one that was made completely correct. Goyle's and Longbottom's were the two that were horrible bad. Don't worry, this one does nothing if it is made horribly bad, but if it is partially correct it will partially change the person. The antidote cures all levels."

Snape watched as she left, heading to his personal study he hoped. With a flick of his wand, he sent the flasks into their proper storage place and then cleared the board.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 - Common Ground

_In case you didn't know, I don't own either the Potter universe (that one belongs to Ms. Rowling) or the Goddess Universe (that one belongs to Kōsuke Fujishima). The characters have just been telling me stories in my head. _

The last class finally left the dungeon and Snape was free to head to his study. As he neared the room, the thing that disturb him was the absolute silence. Opening the door, he searched the room for the person who had been holding his thoughts most of the day. She was no where to be seen. Instead, on his desk was a large vial with a dropper top. Crossing over to it, he noticed that the antidote was sitting on top of the direction to make it, as well as the dosage. Next to that was the potion directions as well as its dosage. Scanning the potion formula he was surprised that she had included the common mistakes and how to tell if it was made by looking at it as well as the outcome of the mistake. Setting the paper back down on his desk, he went to find her.

When he glanced into her room he saw her sitting at her private worktable. The robe was gone, as was the red dress she had been wearing. Instead she was wearing a stretch lace white outfit that would have cause Minerva to faint or at least be flustered. It reminded him a lot of the one he had first seen her in, lots of exposed skin. With a perfunctory knock on the open door, he stepped into the room.

Urd looked up and watched as Snape entered her domain. Marking the place she was at, she considered closing the book. _'He is going to learn a bit about demonology anyway and I need to know more about the Dark Lord and any emblem or mark he used. I'm sure Snape isn't going to tell me without a reason, or at least showing him the results of my research.'_

Snape glanced at the book she was looking at. The language would give the Professor Babbling, the Ancient Rune teacher, a headache. _'Either that or she would be drooling over it. The pictures are interesting though.'_ He leaned a bit closer to see them better.

Urd's eye rested on his left arm. She could feel the demonic energy coming from it. It was faint, but there. Reaching out, she let her fingertips hover near it.

Snape jerked his arm back, his face darkening.

Urd tore her gaze from his arm and rested on is face. "Can I see whatever it is?"

"Why?" His tone was abrupt as he bit out the short question.

With a flick of her hand, she shut the door. "Because it has the feel of the one that I am searching for. It could tell me about his power level, or his power signature if I am lucky. If I can find either of those, then it would speed things up by narrowing my search." She let her fingers rest on the book as she waited for his answer. She knew she was pushing on a sore point, but it was needed.

Snape caught and held her eyes, searching them to see if the was really necessary or was she just curious. The calm conviction and slight contriteness convinced him that she was not just playing with him. Reaching down, his eyes still holding hers, he pulled up his left sleeve.

Urd let his eyes hold hers until he looked down at his arm. She followed his gaze. The tattoo struck a chord in her memory. She knew that skull. Reaching out slowly, she let her fingertips hover over the skull, ignoring the snake that was coming out of its mouth. The feel of the power radiating off it was like a old faded memory. It hovered in the back of her mind, brushing the edges of the memory of her mother's court. Dropping her hand, she caught Snape's eyes. "Thanks."

Dropping his sleeve, he turned so that his back was to her and leaned against the table. "Did it help?" His eyes darted about the room as he waited for her response.

"Yes, it did. I think I can track down what I need now." She searched her mind for a topic to change to, something to put him more at easy. _'If only I could offer him tea like Belldandy. Well, I could offer him some sake.'_ She reached over for a bottle and a cup that was sitting next to the table. She was glad she brought a stash back from Keiichi's. "Sake?"

Snape flicked a look back at her and noticed her holding out a small cup towards him brimming with a clear liquid. Reaching out, he accepted it and sipped it slowly.

Pouring herself a cup, Urd sipped at hers as well though she was in the mood to gulp it down. "Did you find the antidote?"

"Yes, I did. Thank you for the potion recipe. The notes will be useful." Even to his own ears, his answer sounded stilted. He let his mind roam back to the class that morning. Taking another sip of the sake, he let the question that had niggled in his mind all day find its way out. "Did you really stand before Midgard's serpent?" The utter stillness behind him made him turn around. Urd's face was blank, but her eyes were burning.

"Yes, I did... it was an ugly time. The Lord Of Terror was attempting to destroy the universe. Midgard was summoned to defeat Fenrir." She couldn't tell him that she had been the heir of the Lord of Terror and released him. _'I poked a sore point for him, and he hit mine square on as well.'_

"This world should be grateful to Belldandy...if she hadn't been there... if she hadn't removed her power restrictors, if it weren't for her and Skuld... everything would be gone." She hitched a smile onto her face. "And you guys thought this Dark Lord was bad. He just wants to conquer from what I can tell... not totally obliterate not only the Earth, but all levels of this universe."

"You did not help them?" Snape watched her face as it stilled even more.

With a tiny self depreciating smile, she tried to think of how much to tell him. "I did what I could, but at the time I had already drained most of my powers, so I could only offer advice." She looked down at her now empty sake cup. Reaching for the bottle she refilled it.

Snape held out his cup to her in a silent request for a refill. Urd filled it to the brim. Something about her demeanor told him that their was far more to this tale, and that it probably reflected as bad on her as his tale reflected on him. She had made mistakes. Somehow, that made him feel better about this.

Their eyes met once again. Yes, they were a good match, both of them had traveled on the side of darkness and were once again on the side of light.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 - cleansing and comrades

_In case you didn't know, I don't own either the Potter universe (that one belongs to Ms. Rowling) or the Goddess Universe (that one belongs to Kōsuke Fujishima). The characters have just been telling me stories in my head. _

Urd watched as the student that was leaving Umbridge's detention massaged his hand. The hand itself was wrapped up. Casting a look at the door, she reckoned that this was the third student this week. She knew that Snape gave out a lot of detentions, she secretly thought it was because he didn't want to wash the cauldrons, but Umbridge was giving him a run for his money. And while the students dreaded Snape's detentions they feared Umbridge's. Storing the thoughts to be investigated later, she continued towards the top of the spire. She had heard that Professor Trelawney was the divination teacher and she wanted to see her class.

As she entered the room, the sweet smell almost over powered her. A quick glance about showed the students comfortable settled in groups around small tables. With a quick smile at the spacy looking teacher, Urd chose to settle at the table that held a couple of Gryffindors. "Don't mind me, just pretend that I am not here." The two boys looked at each other before turning away from her.

"Okay, today were are going to work at reading a crystal ball. So, one per pair." The balls flew out of the cupboard to land on the tables between the partners.

Halfway through the class, Urd had to leave before she ended up trying to teach the two boys who, understandable, could not figure out what they were supposed to do. A more muddled, even if slightly gifted, teacher she had never seen.

It was latter that evening, at dinner, which Dumbledore insisted she eat with everybody, that she decide to question Umbridge about her detention practices. Leaning slightly forward, she spotted the woman in her pink robe. "Excuse me, Professor Umbridge?" When she had her quarry's attention, she tilted her head slightly. "I was curious what you students have to do in detention. I know that Professor Snape has them wash cauldrons, Professor McGonagall has them clean boards, Professor Flitwick has them write essays that explain in great detail the charm of his choice, but none of the students regret getting detention with them as much as they do with you." She made sure her voice sounded as if she was in awe of this accomplishment.

Umbridge battened on what she perceived as praise. "I just have them write lines. Over and over again. Until they get the point." _'And the blood quills make sure that they get the point rather quickly, too.'_ "The only really stubborn one is that Potter brat. But I'm sure that he will eventually get it, too."

Urd nodded, letting her eyes round with amazement. "To think that it was that simple. I'll have to remember this for the future." Sitting back in her seat, she suppressed a shudder. That woman was one nasty piece of work. 

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Urd called forth the image in a flame that was burning in a brazier which sat in the center of her work table. The table was currently clear of anything flammable. In the center of the dancing flame, she watched as the poor girl that had received detention with Umbridge started writing with a quill that seemed a bit off to Urd. As the girl wrote, Urd noticed that the words were being carved into the back of her hand. _'This is the tainted objects that I felt when she arrived. I can't believe that she is using them intentionally... no actually I can believe it. I think I am going to have to do something about this. But what...?'_

She dismissed the image as she racked her brain for the answer. It wasn't long before she had it. Finding her chalk, she cleared a section of the floor and started on her power circle. Long distance purification took time and lots of precise runes, but it could be done. And if one was prepared and had their circle ready, the time was greatly reduced. It would be a lot easier to just walk into the room and purify it there, during someones detention. No circles or runes needed for something as low power as that would be, but Umbridge would figure out who did it. And Urd didn't want her to know. She wanted the sadistic woman to wonder what had happened to her little toys. To think that they had just failed her while they were being used. To never know precisely what happened. She wanted her to have a mystery to ponder.

Her circle waited for over a week. Umbridge's students were getting better about not being on her bad side. But Potter had to change that. At the time Harry headed for Umbridge's office, she headed towards her room. She had the brazier lit and set in the middle of the circle by the time Harry had his first sentence written. Standing just outside of the outermost ring, she stared into the flames watching as Harry wrote his lines. She never heard her door open, nor Snape walk through.

Snape closed the door quietly behind him. Treading softly, he crossed over to the work table, doing his best not to call attention to himself. Something about the way she held herself said that she was working and was not to be disturbed. He watched as she raised her arms slightly and chanted in some language he did not recognize. Looking away from her, he caught sight of the image in the flame. _'Blood quills? Why is Harry using a blood quill?'_ Even as he watched the blood quill stopped writing. The words that were being carved in the back of Potter's hand petered out, and the quill began to scratch across the paper leaving nothing behind. Umbridge leaned forward and snatched the quill out of the boy's unresisting fingers and shoved another one in its place. When it didn't work, she tried again. It was to no avail. None of her quills worked. Snarling in frustration, she sent Potter from the room.

Smiling, Urd dismissed the image in the flames. It was only then that she noted that someone else was in the room. She knew who it had to be, there was only one person who could pass through her door without her wards screaming at her. She looked over to where he was leaned against the table. "So, are you going to report me?"

With a quick flick of his wand, he vanished the circle that was drawn on the floor. There was no power radiating from it anymore. "Report you? For what?"

Urd cooled the flame in the brazier before she carried over to the hearth. "Thank you. I just couldn't stand that woman doing that to innocent children. Even brats don't deserve that."

A small smile creased his face. Somehow over the past months he had developed a since of camaraderie with her. _'Maybe it is because she not with either side... she is on my side. I don't have to be anyone but myself. Nothing more is expect than that.'_ "I'm not sure about brats, some do deserve a strong punishment. But I agree, not for a basic detention. Of course now we have no evidence that she was using them on students as they don't work anymore." He glanced over to her, a question showing in his eyes. "So, what did you do?"

Hefting the special storage box onto her table, she unsealed it. "I am not only a potions master, I am also the master of mystical cures. One type of cure is to remove the taint of putrid magic from things. That is all I did. I purified them and the back of his hand." Pulling out the three tomes that she had been researching through, she flipped open to the pages she had booked marked.

"Now, it is time to change the topic." She looked up from the first book, catching his questioning eyes. "Your Dark Lord is not operating alone. And I don't mean the branded followers. He has enlisted demonic help."

Snape's eyes widened in disbelief and slowly narrowed as it faded into belief. "So, you have been searching for the demon that he has hooked up with?"

Urd nodded and then pointed to the book that was on top of the stack. "There are four different demons that use the skull as depicted on you arm as their symbol. I can't get a clean power reading from your mark, which is a good thing. That means the demonic taint on you is really light. But it also means I need your help. Take a look at these four demons and see if you can determine which one it is."

Snape turned the book around and then frowned at the illegible runes, at least illegible to him. "I can't read this."

Urd handed him a pill. "Trust me and take this. It will help you understand all languages written and spoken for one hour."

Snape looked at her for a long moment. Trust... that is what went with camaraderie. Swallowing the pill quickly, he waited to see if he was wrong to trust her. Instead he saw the runes swim about and form words that he could understand. He decided he needed to read quickly before the potion wore off, he wasn't sure how much he had to read through, and that he wanted her to write down how to make this one, too. Scanning the pages, it wasn't until he reached the last one did he stop and stare. Tapping the page he looked up at her, his face as pale as if he had seen a ghost.

Urd looked at the name he had chosen. "So, it is Voldemort." She notice that Snape almost flinched when she said the name out loud. "Now that I know who I am dealing with I can start making a sealing vessel." Resting her hand on top of his, she leaned across the table towards him. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm glad I could help. How much longer, by the way?" His voice was cold and tense. He hated hearing that name said aloud.

Ignoring his tone, she closed and locked up the books. "It depends on how soon we can get those two together. But before that, I have to make the sealing vessel."

Nodding his head, Snape left her room in a slight daze. _'The Dark Lord is a demon. I swore allegiance to a demon.'_


	11. Chapter 11

Chap 11 - Unwanted choices

_In case you didn't know, I don't own either the Potter universe (that one belongs to Ms. Rowling) or the Goddess Universe (that one belongs to Kōsuke Fujishima). The characters have just been telling me stories in my head. _

Urd decided she had to do it. There was no way she could get around the fact that she needed more information, and that the information was stored in Yggdrasil. Closing the demonology book, she locked it back into it case. _'I'm going to be gone at least a week. So, that means I should tell Severus.'_ Setting her wand on the table, she picked up the storage box. _'I might as well return this while I'm at it. They are probably getting antsy that it is still here on Earth.'_ Scooping her wand back up, she headed out her door, making sure it was sealed. Now, no one could enter there except Severus. _'No one but Severus should have a need to be in my space. And he only if I need him to look something up.'_ Tucking the trunk a bit more secure in her arm, she headed for Snape's study.

Severus had just got back from a meeting with Dumbledore. _'I can't believe he wants me... _**me**_ to do this.'_ Flinging himself in the chair next to the fireplace, he relived the last hour.

oooooooooooooooo

"Severus, my dear boy, come in." Dumbledore gestured the tall potions master into his office.

"Albus, what happened?" Snape knew that something had to have happened. Last night had been an interesting time. The Weasleys were gone, as was Granger and Potter. And if the trio were involved, then the something was typically really bad.

"Harry dreamed that Arthur was attacked by a snake. We got him out of there and into the hospital." Dumbledore offered Severus a lemon drop.

Shaking his head in refusal, Severus frowned. "Is he going to be okay?"

Dumbledore nodded yes. "Only because Harry was able to give us enough warning. As good as that was, it is the dream that has me worried. I think that Voldemort is invading Harry's mind."

_'I wonder if it is really Voldemort, the demon, or if it is the Dark Lord.'_ Snape raised an eyebrow. "You think the the Dark Lord is controlling Potter? Or could control him?"

Dumbledore sighed. "I'm not sure... but I think we need to guard against that possibility. As good as Harry knowing something is going to happen is, I think the Voldemort is onto him. And that can be dangerous to him."

_'And to me as well. Urd needs them together but not like that I'm sure.'_ Steepling his fingers together, he tapped his index fingers together repeatedly. "So, we have to keep the Dark Lord out of Potter's mind. How do you propose we do that?" _'Do not suggest that I teach him occlumency... just don't.'_

"Teach him occlumency. I need you to do it." Dumbledore's eyes looked calmly into Snape's.

Severus tapped his fingers together a bit harder, and held them there. "No, Albus, I don't think I can."

"Severus, I know that the two of you are not getting along, but I'm sure that you can handle everything." The blue eyes looked confidently into the black ones.

"I'm not sure. Occulmency requires trust to learn. If you don't trust your teacher, then you will never learn it. He trusts you, not me. You should be the one to teach him. He would learn it really fast if you.."

Dumbledore interrupted him. "I can't. You know that there is a chance that the student can enter the teacher's mind. If Voldemort learned that I was teaching him, which he could easily do if he had access to Harry's mind, then he could use that time to attack. And we both know that he won't attack you."

"And if he did, he wouldn't learn anything more than he already knew." The frown that settled on his face hid the worry that was niggling in his mind. _'Unless he finds out about Urd. But, he hasn't been able to break into my mind to find out everything else I am hiding. Of course he doesn't know that I am hiding anything either.'_

"So, that is why you must do it."

"Why not Minerva? She could at least teach him the basics." Snape knew he was grasping at straws, but he had to try. He knew that there was no way that Harry was going to trust him enough to learn from him. Or that he was going to lock up his feelings long enough to teach him properly.

Dumbledore bit down his irritation. It had been a tiring night, not to mention the school year so far. He really didn't feel like convincing Severus to do what was needed to be done. The boy just needed to act like the man he was and everything would be alright. "Severus, my boy, you know the answer to that. Occulmency is best learned from one teacher. And the other students would believe that you assigned remedial potions lessons. They wouldn't believe that Minerva would need to assign him extra practice in transfiguration."

ooooooooooooo

_'That was the end of that.'_ Severus stared into the flames. He still believed that it was going to do more harm than good. He just didn't think that there was enough trust between him and the boy. Not that he had ever attempted to foster any. He just couldn't. He also knew that was his problem, and one that Dumbledore couldn't seem to accept. _'He seems to think that I can rise to anything if given enough time. But I know that there are somethings that just don't change. And my feelings towards Potter seem to be one of them.'_

The knock at his door pulled him out of his musings. "Come in." Looking towards the door, he waited to see who it was.

"Severus?" Urd looked about the darkened room. The room was much different when it wasn't lit. The shelves seemed to hold bottles upon bottles of bits of plants and animals and the books were hidden in the shadows. Her eyes finally adjusted to the gloom and she spotted him in a chair near the fireplace.

"Urd, what can I help you with?" Snape knew he sounded tired. The grumpy side of him was sure she was here to get him to do something for her.

She crossed the room to where he was sitting. _'Something is bothering him. I hope that this isn't a bad time to leave.' _Settling in the chair across from him, she set the trunk down at her feet. "I need to go to Asgard." She caught his surprised look. "I need to return the books and there is more information that I need to find, but it will only be available from Yggdrasil."

Setting aside his problem, he focused on her. "More information? How long do you think you will be gone?" Maybe she wouldn't see him struggling to work with Potter.

"Roughly a week. I need to make sure that Voldemort doesn't have another repository anywhere around. Also, I have to check to see if there is another horcrux. Since the Dark Lord made one, he could have made more. And for your wish to come true, all of them have to be destroyed."

"More? We are not even sure that the diary was one." An uncertain look flitted across his face.

"He is still around, right? That means the diary should have been one, and even if it wasn't, there has to be one around somewhere." As Snape nodded in agreement, Urd changed the subject. "Now, what is bothering you?"

His face shuttered for a moment, but he realized that after this much time, he didn't mind talking to her. It felt good to have someone that was just on his side. "Dumbledore wants me to teach Harry occulmency."

Urd raised an eyebrow. "And this is bad because?"

"Because it is used to defend one's mind from invasion, but to learn it the teacher must try to invade the student's mind. And the most affective way to block it is to control your emotions. To chose what is seen and what isn't. To cast the invader out of your mind if you want to. But to learn how to do that, you need to trust your teacher. It is not easy to learn to control hatred or anger... both are strong, and that is what Potter feels towards me."

"That is understandable considering your relationship."

Snape cut her off before she could continue. "I know. I never gave him a chance. I have always gone out of my way to make his life less pleasant. I'm not proud of it, but past is past, and he is not going to trust me."

Urd's sigh echoed Snape's. Leaning forward she looked him in the eye. "From what you've told me, that boy has been doing everything the hard way anyway and succeeding. Let's just hope he succeeds this time, too."

Snape curled his fingers around the chair arm. "I don't want to take the chance of him seeing the memories I have. They are mine." He looked deeper into the purple eyes. "And there is a chance. He might go on the attack and invade my mind. Or try to. There is no telling what he might see." There was no way he wanted the boy to see his memories of James Potter. Everyone deserved to believe their father was a good person, no matter what they were really like. Sure, he would be the first one to tell Potter that his Dad was prat, but there was a difference between being told that and seeing it. If you were told then you could disbelieve, if you saw, that was that. It would be forever etched into your memory.

Urd quirked one side of her mouth up. "Then use that memory remover spell I read about the other day. You just need some special bowl and then you'll be set. Take out the memories before you start, and then teach him to the best of your ability. You can do it."

"That is what Dumbledore believes. I just don't know."

Scooping up her box, Urd headed towards the fireplace. "You'll never know until you try. I've got to go. If I hang about here longer I might just decide to stick around. I'll be back in a week."

Snape watched as she stepped into the fireplace. "Good luck with your search as well." He headed over to his potions table as the white haired goddess vanished up the chimney. _'I need to ask Dumbledore if I can borrow his Pensive.'_


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 - Research, Permission, and Shopping

_In case you didn't know, I don't own either the Potter universe (that one belongs to Ms. Rowling) or the Goddess Universe (that one belongs to Kōsuke Fujishima). The characters have just been telling me stories in my head. _

Urd strode down the halls of Asgard, heading for one of Yggdrasil consoles. She had signed in earlier to use it and waited for at least three hours before one was available. Those three hours turned out to plenty of time for word to get out that she was back. It had taken less than ten minutes for the first problem to be brought to her. _'It is because I am an administrator, with all the rights and privileges. The right to listen to the issues and the privilege to fix them. And since Skuld isn't here, the problems can pile up until one of us makes it back.'_ She entered the small room and sank down into the chair. It was time to get started on what she was here for.

Hours later, she leaned back in the chair and stared up at the ceiling. _'How had they let things get this bad?'_ She looked back at the screen. It had taken Yggdrasil all of two minutes to determine that the demon Voldemort had only one repository, and that was in the body of Tom Riddle. It had taken another minute to find out the Tom Riddle was the Dark Lord. It was researching the horcruxes that had taken the rest of the day. Filtering all the different soul signals from Earth and determining which ones matched Tom Riddle's had taken some time.

"The diary was definitely a horcux. And there are seven others. Most will be easy to destroy. I just need to purify them, and it will be done. But the one that is lodged in Harry's head and in the snake... those will present a challenge. How can I purify them without killing the vessels?" Her fingers flew over the key pad, sending her deeper and deeper in to Yggdrasil's memory banks, hunting down the perfect way to remove soul bits without harming the vessel. It was only after she finished that did she begin to research the perfect material to seal Voldemort in, as well as the counterspell to the one that had brought Tom back to life. The days stretched out as she dug deeper and deeper into the problems. On her fifth day, she had finally gathered all the information that she needed, and had a hard copy stacked neatly on the edge of the desk. With her remaining time, she continued her research on the philosopher's stone.

"Urd, your time is up. You've holed up in there for the past five days, surely you've got everything you need."

Urd cleared her search history before she closed out the console. Two day left until she told Snape that she would be back. Opening the door, she looked at the clerk that was in charge of the console waiting on her. "I just finished. Thanks." Waving a cheery bye, she headed to the next desk that she had to get through.

The clerk waved back before entering the room to make sure the console was closed down properly.

Urd leaned against the administration desk, looking earnestly at the bored looking secretary. "I need the form to ask for permission to remove power restrictors while on Earth."

The bored secretary didn't look so bored anymore. "There is no paperwork, you have to ask the Almighty himself for that."

Urd closed her eyes as she heaved a sigh. If it was Belldandy or Skuld asking, she knew what his answer would be. But it was her. She had already proved to be a danger to Earth with her power restrictors on. _'It can't hurt to ask. The worst he could say is no. If he does, I might have to call in Bel to help me with this one.'_ Looking back at the secretary, she leaned a bit over the counter. "So, when can I see him?"

Scanning the screen before her, the secretary refused to look at the white haired goddess. "He doesn't appear to be free for the next month." The other side of the desk remained quiet. Hazarding a glance, the she noticed the Urd was not there any longer. "I guess she doesn't want to schedule an appointment."

Urd slipped through the door into her father's personal study. It had been a long time since she had dared to go see him like this. One just did not come upon the Almighty unannounced. Letting the door click shut behind her, she looked at the tall God sitting behind his desk. The frown he wore showed that he was troubled by something. _'This might not have been such a good idea. Well...in for a penny, in for a pound.'_ Walking closer to the desk, she hoped that he would spot her before she had to call attention to herself.

The Almighty looked up from the paper he was reading. When his eyes fell on Urd, he wasn't sure if he should be overjoyed that his eldest daughter came to visit him or wary. "Urd, I thought you were working on a wish. What brings you back here?"

Urd watched as the frown that had been creasing his brow faded. "It is about the wish, Father. I have to seal the demon Voldemort while re-ending the life of someone who died fifteen years ago. I needed to use Yggdrasil to hunt for away to handle all the intricacy that this case holds."

He smiled at her. "And did you find all that you needed to know?" He was sure she had. Urd had finally tempered her impetuses behavior, but kept her headstrong ways. Now she would focus on getting the job done. She used to get caught up in the joy of trying to get it done and then loosing her focus. The end result of that lost focus would always be a job half done. Not anymore.

Urd nodded. "But I also discovered that I might not have the strength to take them both on with my power restricted." She jangled her bracelets lightly, drawing his attention to the jewelery that held her power in check.

He leaned back in his seat, considering the request she hadn't quite spoken. Then he moved quickly, pulling up the file on her current project. Scanning the material, he felt his frown return. She was right. It might, just might require more than her limited power to deal with the circumstances as they stood. But he did not want to send Belldandy into help her. This was a chance for her to prove that she could do more than sit behind a desk and clear up all Yggdrasil's problems. It was time for the eldest sister to shine. The middle sister, Belldandy, had her chance against The Lord of Terror. Skuld, the youngest, would have her chance once she earned her unlimited license. Leaning over his desk, he looked into the eyes of his eldest. _'Maybe not all the power restrictors. Mayhap just one or two bracelets instead of all six.'_ Smiling at his solution, he came around his desk so that he was facing her with no barriers between them. "I can't allow you to have no power restrictors, but if you need to, you can take off up to two of the bracelets."

Urd's eyes widened a bit. He was trusting her. She was sure that after that last incident He wouldn't, but He was. She looked down at the six bracelets that adorned her wrists before casting a joyous look up at her father. "Thank you."

He reached over and touched her shoulder gently before gesturing to the door."Now, I really have to get busy, and you still have much to accomplish."

Urd turned back towards him when she reached the door. He was already seated at his desk, the frown back in place. _'I'll do my best and prove that your trust is not misplaced.'_ Slipping out the door, she knew it was time to head for Earth. There was lots of stuff she had to purchase before she headed back to Hogwarts. After one quick stop to pick up enough gold to fill a small vault in Gringotts, she headed for Diagon Alley.

ooooooooooooo

Urd appeared just outside of the main branch of Gringotts in Diagon Alley. Walking through the doors, she went to set up her vault and exchange her gold for wizarding money. It took just a moment for her to find herself back in Kepwich's care. After a bottle of sake, with papers signed that gave her sisters access to the vault if necessary, she left with a pouch full of money and a little key that let her access more if she needed it.

With the bank doors closed behind her, she headed out into the alley in search of Slug and Jiggers Apothecary. There was a number of potion ingredients on her list that she didn't want Snape to have to explain where they went to if Dumbledore became curious.

She found the store by their smell. Stepping into the shop, she tried not to smirk at the kids who were covering their noses in attempt not to breath in the smell of rotten eggs and cabbage. _'They should be glad those are the only smells assaulting their noses.'_ Looking about, she spotted the first four ingredients on her list. Carefully measuring them into the supplied containers, she moved further into the shop. It wasn't until she came up to the counter that she saw the bespelled carrying sack. Hefting it up, she looked at the clerk working the counter. "Will it honestly hold more that it appears to? And if it does, how about the weight?"

The clerk smiled at the skepticism on her face. "It has a feather weight charm as well as a concealed enlargement charm. It can carry all that you are holding and more."

Urd dropped it onto the counter and then set her purchases next to it. She still had a lot of shopping to do.

The evening found her at the Broken Cask, bag in her lap and a glass of dark rum in her hand. The same bartender as last time served her. She slipped a sickle over the counter towards him. "This is for use of your fireplace last time. Thanks."

Kevin quickly pocketed the money before he continued polishing the counter. "Those three seem to 'ave passed the word. I doubt you'll 'ave the same trouble as last time."

Urd set the empty glass onto the bar. "I hope not, there is too much on my plate tonight for that type of playing."

" 'nother glass?"

Nodding yes, she slid another sickle onto the scarred surface. "Perhaps you can help me."

He leaned up against the bar, his eyes looking out over the crowd, but his ears on her. "What'cha need?"

"A large piece of borosilicate glass colored with cobalt oxide. It would have a purple or red color, not the normal blue tone that cobalt oxide gives glass. Do you know where I might find some? Even small pieces, or even the glass and the cobalt separately."

Kevin looked back at her for a moment before transferring his gaze to the small group of men that had just come through the door. "I'd recommend Diggens two alleys down. They might still be open."

Finishing off her rum, Urd slid off her stool. "Then I guess I should get moving. Thanks." With her bag slung over her shoulder, she headed out the door. She noticed the eyes that followed her. Keeping her senses peeled, she headed off to find Diggens.

It wasn't until she stepped out of the glass shop, her borosilicate glass colored with cobalt safely tucked away into her bag, that she ran into the group that decided to see if the rumors where true. Settling back onto her heels, she shook her head. "Look, I don't really have time to mess with you. I have places that I need to go, so could you please get out of my way?"

The burly man in the front grinned menacingly. "Give us the bag, and we'll consider it."

Urd looked down at the bag and then back up at the men. They had her surrounded.

"You can't get us all at once, so you might as well do as I said. We might let you walk away."

"You might let me walk away?" Shaking her head, she sighed. "I did say I was on a tight schedule... So, are you moving?"

"Get her!"

Urd left the electrocuted bodies lying in the road as she headed back to the Broken Cask. She smiled at Kevin as she came through the door. "Thanks. They were still open. Can I use your fireplace again?"

He gestured back towards it. Another sickle landed on the top of the bar. _'I have no clue how she gets around in it, it isn't connected to the network.'_ He watched as she disappeared in the smoke.

oooooooooooo

Snape watched as Potter walked out his door. Occulmency was not going well. It was just as he thought, his and Potter's emotions were getting in the way. Suddenly he detected another presence in the room. Turning about, he spotted Urd walking out of the fireplace. He hoped her mission had been more successful than he had been.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 - Potions, horcruxes, and a lost temper

_In case you didn't know, I don't own either the Potter universe (that one belongs to Ms. Rowling) or the Goddess Universe (that one belongs to Kōsuke Fujishima). The characters have just been telling me stories in my head. _

Snape had been sure that the evening had reached its lowest point as he sent Harry out the door. But that was before he listened to what Urd had to say. "You're sure that there are seven more horcruxes out there?"

Urd crossed her ankles as she leaned back into the wing backed chair. "Yes, but I suspect that the Dark Lord only knows of six of them."

Snape cast a confused look her way. "If he created them, then surely he knows where they are."

"If he knew where the seventh one was, he would have the Death Eaters guarding Harry, not trying to destroy him."

The serious expression on her face convinced him that she wasn't joking with him. "His scar... it's there. And I bet that is the reason the Dark Lord can connect to his mind at a distance. Because he is really just connecting to his own soul. And the parts of a soul are always drawn together." He dropped his head, the feeling of defeat overwhelming him. There just was no way to beat someone who had seven other lives stored up somewhere. "I made an impossible wish."

It was the barest whisper, but Urd heard him. "No... not impossible, but it is complicated and intricate. It requires more finesse to handle this type of work." She caught his dark eyes with her lighter color as he lifted them from his clasped hands. "And there are two individuals in this room who are quite used to dealing with the trickiness, the complicated, and the exactitude needed to bring this to a successful end. My only question is, are you willing to help?"

_'Even if I don't, she will keep trying. She won't give up. Everything about her screams that. And I won't either. I have tricked him so far. That just goes to show that he can be bested. We just have to take out the others one at a time. Patience and cunning, that is what this game has always called for.'_ The feeling of defeat left as quickly as it had come. He refused to be bested by a demon and a dead man. The sigh that escaped his lips surprised him. "Of course I will. That is what I want. To help be able to put an end to this, not just watch it happen. So, what is the next step?"

Urd's grimace caused him to raise an eyebrow. "I have to create the sealing container. That is going to require somewhere to melt and mold glass, and not just any glass, but borosilicate glass." She knew that he would know how much effort that was going to be so she didn't elaborate.

Snape rubbed his forehead slightly. "Umbridge made her move while you were out. She is stepping up her control of the school. Currently, she is evaluating teachers and declaring what can go on inside of the school ground. Finding you a spot to do something so dangerous as heating up that type of glass is going to be difficult."

Urd pulled a list of potions out her bag. "And I guess brewing these are going to be a bit touch and go as well?" She handed him the list.

Scanning down the list, Snape blanched even whiter at some of the ingredients listed. "I doubt that even I could get away with trying to order some of the things on here. I know that there are a few that are not in stock. And then using the ingredients that are on the shelves without a proven reason..." He let his sentence just hang, the end waiting to be said.

"I have all the ingredients. I knew that some of them were things that you might not have access to. Or rather, it would be noted if you did. What we need is a reason to be brewing potions that are not normally made here."

Snape stared at the list, willing a reason to come to him. He did not recognize a single potion on the list and each one of them made him itch to try his hand at them. _'When she was talking about complicated and exactitude, she had to be talking about these. And... and it would be great to give them a try.'_ Tapping the list against his fingers, he rummaged about his mind, trying to find a solution. "We need a reason to be making a new potion. One that everyone would accept..." His eyes widened as he looked at the frown that was starting to form on his companion's brow. "You... You are supposed to be developing a new potion for controlling fever reduction."

"Those won't do that. They are specifically designed to purify objects and..."

"She won't know that. None of them will. And since it is a new potion, you have to try new things." He leaned forward slightly, the list lightly clasped in his hands. "Let me work on these while you work on the glass."

Urd felt her lips compress slightly. "You have to be careful. Two of those take at least a month to brew. If you goof..." She let out a soft laugh when Snape looked affronted. "Let me go over the directions one more time to make sure that I put in everything that I should have. I'll give the list back to you tomorrow. Do you think she will be watching that clearing in the Forbidden Forest? I could easily build my glass furnace there. I wouldn't be interrupted as I worked either."

"The centaurs are not happy. They might try to get you to leave."

"That could be interesting. I think I will set up shop there." Urd's smile almost made him shudder.

oooooooooooooooooooooo

The next couple of months went by in a whirlwind of activities. Snape figured out that he could only brew two of the potions at a time due to the complexity and the timing for adding the ingredients. Urd formed her sealing container. The centaurs who had come to tell her to bugger off left rather quickly when she introduced herself. They knew far better than to mess with a Goddess at work. The only thing that interrupted this blissful time of preparation was Snape's constant grumbling that Potter wasn't trying and that the lessons were a waste of time.

That all ended the night that Dumbledore left and Umbridge became headmistress of Hogwarts.

Urd strolled through the hall, watching the fireworks as they danced about the school. It really was a treat to see that someone had spent a bit of time studying to make them so spectacular. _'I wish there was a place that I could just sit and see them all. I bet it would be one really great show.'_ Instead she got to witness Umbridge try to vanish a Catherine Wheel as it was tumbling down the stairwell towards the dungeon. It burst into ten pieces, each one growing back into the size of the original. Grinning, she let the burning wheels swoop by her as she slipped through the classroom door. The room was empty as everyone was at lunch. _'Either that or dodging fireworks.'_ Continuing through the room, she headed for Snape's study. Once inside, she set down the bag she had been carrying.

_'Today is the day I'll be finished with the sealing vessel. I just need to treat this...'_ She hefted a bowling ball size piece of reddish purple glass out of the bag. It was the shape of a flower in bloom. _'... with the potion that Severus finished yesterday, and it will be done.'_

After placing a large silver bowl on the far preparation table, she set the glass flower into the center of it. Then she uncorked the tallest flask that had been left on the shelf with the other potions. A quick smell told her that it was made correctly. Dipping the end of her wand into the bottle, she wet it with the potion, and then began inscribing runes all along the petals of the glass. The first set rendered the glass unbreakable. The second and third set placed the locks and barriers needed to hold a demon as powerful as Voldemort inside. They were similar to the runes used to lock Marla, Demon first class, into the CD when she was sealed. Finally, the last set was the key, the part that would actually trap the demon inside. Once she was done, she poured the rest of the potion into the bottom of the bowl, letting the glass soak up the leftovers. _'All that is left is to set who is going to close the door on him. Should I key it to just one person, or more than one? It took me, Skuld and Belldandy to seal up Marla. Can I really do this alone, even with two bracelets removed? Am I going to have to let Severus help, even though I am granting his wish? It's dangerous, and it might actually kill a human unless they are powerful.'_ She let the thought settle into the back of her mind, there was time to worry about that later. A quick glance showed her that all her potions were ready. Starting tomorrow night, she would start breaking the horcruxes.

oooooooooooo

The house was dingy and quiet. Not unnaturally so, but the hush that was laying thickly about her just proved how remote the place was. Urd turned her head this way and that, attempting to get a fix on the spot where Riddle's soul was hidden. After scouring the house, she found it. Pulling out her talc power, she began her power circle. This was going to take perfection and that meant she couldn't just blow it apart, no matter how much she wanted to.

The circle completed and the protection wards in place, Urd peeled back the floorboards. The nastiness that erupted proved why she was taking her time. Opening the little gold box with the tip of her wand, she looked down at the ring that was nestled inside. Uncorking a tiny flask, she poured its entire content onto the stone in the setting. The tiny piece of soul dislodged from the ring and dissolved into a puff of smoke. _'On its way to Niflheim most like. I have no doubt Mother will reunite it with the piece that has already made it.'_ She tried not to think of what her mother would do with the pieces once she had them all. Demons were not known to be very nice, and Hild was the Lord of the Demons.

Stepping carefully out of her circle, she put the empty flask into the inner pocket of her robe. Next she pulled back out her wand and vanished her circle. Replacing the floorboards, she made sure that her visit was unnoticeable.

oooooooooo

Flopping back into her chair, Urd downed her fourth cup of sake. _'Tired... that was more draining than I thought. One down and six to go.'_ Running her hand through her hair, she considered bed, but knew that she really wanted to handle one more of the horcruxes before the sun rose.

All that changed when she heard the bottles crashing against the wall. She spotted Harry running down the hall from Severus' study. He never even noticed her standing there. She let him pass before she went to see what happened.

The study was in complete disarray. Bottles were scattered about, some broken, others not. Potion ingredients were splattered across the shelves. Urd took all of it in with one quick glance before she sought out the person who had caused the mess. Snape was pacing near the fire place. His steps showed that he was agitated. _'I have never seen him so emotional. So mad...What did that boy do?'_

Severus heard the crunch of broken glass. Spinning quickly, he pointed his wand at whoever dared to enter his domain unannounced.

Urd stopped, looking from the wand to the tormented eyes of the person behind it. Standing still, she waited.

The wand shook slightly and finally fell, pointing at the floor. "He isn't coming back. I told him to leave... I forced him to leave..."

Urd waited to see if anything else was forth coming, but Snape had retreated into his own mind. Stepping further into the room, she lit the torches, brightening the shadowy room. "What happened?"

Flinging himself into one of the chairs near the fireplace, Snape dropped his head into his hands, his wand now pointing at an awkward angle towards the wall. "I've told you that the lessons weren't going well. I swear that boy wants the Dark Lord in his head." Tilting his head back, he stared up at the ceiling, his eyes searching for answers in the darkened surface. "Tonight, I was called away to help with Montague." He stopped while his mind roamed over what had happened when he was called away.

Urd broke his thoughts. "Oh, he was found?""

"Yes, in a toilet on the fourth floor. I told Potter that we would resume the lesson tomorrow night. That boy normally high tails it out of here as soon as he is given leave to go. Why was tonight different?"

Urd's eyes widened slightly. "He seemed to be moving pretty fast before I came in here."

Snape dropped his head back onto his hands, staring into the fireplace. "He looked into the Pensive. All those memories I didn't want him to see... all the thoughts that I have taken care to pull out of my mind so that he wouldn't _know_...I found him, head first in there. And then I lost it. I can't remember the last time I lost my temper that bad. I... I shook him... I shouted at him...I threw him... I threw things at him..." His voice dwindled into a whisper. "I treated him like his current guardians. If he hadn't of run... If I hadn't got a bit of control at the end and ordered him out...there is no telling what I would have done."

Urd sank down next to him, resting a hand on his shoulder. As she spoke she started rubbing his shoulder and back gently in a soothing motion. "But you did gain control. You didn't curse him, you didn't hurt him permanently. And maybe he learned something from this as well."

"I kept telling him to control his emotions, and I let mine go. I lost all control over them." He barely kept himself from shrugging off her hand. He wasn't sure he wanted to be soothed, but he knew he didn't want to anger her either.

"No, you didn't. If you had, the boy would be in the hospital wing."

"He might be soon anyway. From what I can tell, the Dark Lord is trying to get him to recover the prophesy that started all this. And Potter isn't doing a thing to block him. Soon enough he is going to go to the Department of Mysteries and pick up that little globe. Then the Dark Lord is going to get it." He felt the hand on his back still. Looking up, he saw Urd looking like she had received her greatest wish.  
"What?"

"Can we use this? Can we make it so that they are together? If we can, we can end this."

Snape felt his heart pause before it started back at a quicker beat. "Maybe, if we could figure out when. But do we really have to include him?"

Urd nodded slightly, a sad but determined look on her face."Unfortunately, we do. He is the only one who is capable of putting an end to the Dark Lord." She glanced back at Severus as he forced himself to accept what she had said. "So, I need to hurry up with the horcruxes. You did say that Harry was good at defense against the dark arts, right?"

Severus buried his aggravation at having to use Potter. "Yes, it is one subject that he has had a lot of real world practice in." He couldn't keep the sarcasm out of his voice as he answered her.

"Then, my dear potions master, I fear you are going to have to forgive him. We need to teach him a spell, as well as clean that nasty bit of darkness out of his head, and I would rather have it done in as much secrecy as possible."

Clenching his fingers around his wand, he answered through compressed lips. "I'll try."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 - Old issues

_In case you didn't know, I don't own either the Potter universe (that one belongs to Ms. Rowling) or the Goddess Universe (that one belongs to Kōsuke Fujishima). The characters have just been telling me stories in my head. _

_An: Harry declared that this was his universe, so he needed to be in the story more. So, with no further ado, he is Harry's __take over__ introduction.  
_  
Leaning forward, Harry rested his head against the mirror. Somewhere in the background he heard Myrtle sulking. He knew it was because he had asked for a moment alone. In his desire for complete privacy, he had almost headed down into the passage way that led to the Chamber of Secrets, but part of him didn't want to open that again, not while Umbridge was in charge of the school.

With his eyes cracked, he stared in the mirror. He was having problems coming to grips with the fact that his father was everything that he despised. Sirius assured him that it was only while his Dad was a teen and that he had changed. But it didn't change the fact that his Dad had been a bully, one as bad as Dudley. And to top it off, Sirius had order him to get Snape to continue teaching him occulmency. _'How can I face him? I can't just stride in and say I'm not my Dad. I've been trying so hard to be the person I believed my Dad to be these past five years. If I brought him up to Snape...'_ The memory that he had stolen a look at ran through his mind once again. _'Stole... that is what I did. Sure, Snape had pummeled and shuffled through my memories, but... I let him. Honestly, I did. I didn't practice like I should have been. And I know that controlling your emotions are hard. Really hard.'_ His early years at the Dursley's had taught him that control really well. It was just here, at Hogwarts, he didn't feel that he needed to exert the same effort bottling up his emotions. _'And why should he accept my apology. I mean, would he believe it if I said it... I look just like the person who was his personal tormentor. Would I believe it if someone who looked like Dudley apologized to me? Just how would I treat someone like that?'_

Settling back on his heals, he stared himself in the eye. For the first time, he could see his Father looking back at him and he didn't feel proud. Shoving that emotion aside, locking it up in the place where all the bad memories went to be perused later, he forced himself to consider how he would react if he had authority over someone who looked just like Dudley. The feeling that welled up in him scared him. He would want to humiliate the child as much as he had been humiliated. _'And Snape has been doing pretty close to that. Not quite as bad, given the memory I saw, but close.'_

Curling his hand into a fist, he knew that somehow he had to convince Snape that he wasn't his father. That he was himself, not a shadow that haunted him from the past. _'But why should I? Is it only because Sirius insists that I keep studying occulmency? Or is because I feel guilty for doing something that I despise... for breaking the trust that had been there?' _ And he knew that there had been a bit of trust. Snape had left him with the memories in the office, trusting that he would honor the older man's privacy. And he hadn't. _'And that is part of the problem... I know that I was in the wrong... and that is not a normal position for me. But if what I saw of my Dad was normal, and according to Sirius and Lupin it was, then I just reinforced that I was like him. I was...'_ That was the reason he had to convince Snape that he was his own self, it was because he had done something that was atypical for him. Sure, he snooped. Sure, he got himself in a number of situations by not following all the rules, but he had never, at least intentionally, invaded someone else's privacy nor broken their trust in him, however it was implied.

Smoothing down his wayward hair, he looked himself square in the face. "If you want them to treat you like an adult, then you have to act like one. And that means you have to own up to your mistakes and make amends." For a moment the teen who had seen the scariest face that Snape had ever shown a student felt his resolve harden.

ooooooooooooooo

Potion class was going so much easier that it used to. As far as he could tell, Snape likened him to a patch of air. He was sure that if he blew something sky high, Snape would prevent the disaster from spreading, but other than that, he was invisible. And that was actually helping with his ability to make potions. This new found success was making it difficult to summon up the gumption to apologize for what he did. He was sure that he didn't want Snape to notice that he did in fact still exist. So, it was a surprise when a note appeared on his desk next to his cauldron. What was more surprising was that neither Hermione nor Ron noticed it. Opening it, he barely prevented himself from tossing it into the fire under the cauldron when he saw it was written in Snape's handwriting. Scanning it quickly, he felt his insides chill. Snape wanted him to meet here after classes were done for the day. He was allowed to use any reason he wanted to, but he was to show up without fail.

Tucking the note into the inner pocket of his robe, he stared at Snape while the professor still pretended that he didn't exist.

ooooooooooooooo

Urd ran her fingers through her hair as she surveyed the last two potions that were sitting on the shelf next to the faintly glowing glass flower. The last week had been hard and she was quite certain she could sleep for an entire week. She knew that it was a reaction to all the power she had used this last week. She had cleansed all the easy horcruxes.

_'The diadem and the ring were the easiest of them. They were in places that were easy to access and work in. No one to bother me, or interrupt. The locket was harder... sneaking into Umbridge's room and recovering it long enough to cleanse, and then sneaking it back in was hard. But not as hard as convincing the goblins to let me into that vault.'_ She knew the only reason she'd been allowed was she was who she was, along with telling them what the cup really was. That and the fact she was just cleansing, not taking. Both Kepwich and Ragnok had to be present while she worked on it. When the protection spells went off, Urd was glad she didn't have to touch a thing while she worked. No matter that she controlled the fire element as well as lightening, she could get burned by hot metal.

Sinking down until she was eye level with the flasks, she contemplated the fluids that were gently sparkling inside the glass containers. _'The wish is almost granted. Just two more horcruxes to cleanse, one demon to trap, and one reincarnated wizard to return to his resting place. The first two I can do, but the last one... it is going to require the boy.'_ Glancing at the empty spots on the shelves, she hoped that Snape would remember to tell Harry to meet them. She had to know if he wanted to join them. Then they could plan.

ooooooooooooo

Snape refused to admit he was anxious. It had taken him weeks of soul searching to reach the point that he could even think of talking with Potter. He knew that the boy had read his note during class, so, now he had to wait to see if Potter would even show up. He glanced back at Urd. She was sitting in a chair in the back of the room with her head against the wall. He could tell she was sleeping by the her breathing. Her face actually looked drawn and tired.

There was a slow creak as the door opened with an almost cautious speed. His eyes shot towards the figure in the doorway. _'He won't even notice her unless he looks to his right.'_ Potter strode straight into the room.

Harry focused on Snape as he entered the classroom. He was trying to read the potions master's mood from the way he held himself. All he could figure out was that Snape was not giving him a single thing to guess with. _'You've got to be an adult... you have to act like one if you want them to treat you as one. And the first thing you have to do is own up to your mistakes.'_ Stopping a few feet away from Snape, he drew in a calming breath. Clenching his hands he fought to control his emotions and for the proper tone. He had to sound sincere. Catching the black eyes with his green ones, he tried not to rush through what he had to say. "Professor Snape, I'm sorry. I know I was wrong. I invaded your privacy." He cringed inwardly as he spoke the next part, scared of what the professor's reply would be. "I will accept whatever punishment you deem appropriate." He waited with baited breath, sure that he was about to be mocked and made to do something horrible. _'I did it. I said it.'_ He felt as if a weight had been lifted off his chest. Unconsciously he stood a bit straighter.

Severus stood still as he listened to the apology, admittedly a stilted one, but a sincere one. Sometime during the past week he had come to a compromise with himself. He accepted that this was his punishment for all the grief he had visited on the brat's head the last five years. And now the brat was taking responsibility for his actions, something that his father had never done, and then apologized for them. He knew from the memories that he had glimpsed at, that Potter was more like himself than he was like his own father. The brat knew the pain of humiliation, of bullying. He knew what it was like to be scared and wishing to strike out, but unable to. He had already acknowledged that Potter was not like his father, but the boy just showed how much different he really was. Looking into the green eyes staring into his own, he felt his aggravation melt. He wasn't sure if he was ready to forgive, but he could let his hatred go.

"Your punishment... Are you sure a you want to accept it without knowing what it is?" His words were silken, promising a dreadful fate if Harry answered wrong.

Harry felt his stomach sink. Pulling on the courage that had seen him through so many fights with Voldemort, he answered. "Yes. I trust that you will make it appropriate to the crime." He knew that he was hoping for a lot. Snape has always shown that he was unjust when it came to dealing with him.

Snape looked deep into the sincere, scared face that the boy was showing him. It hit him that the teen was trying to be an adult. _'And since he is behaving as such, it would behoove me to do so as well.'_ He leaned against his demonstration table and laced his fingers together. "Your punishment is to keep a secret, even from the rest of your trio. Do you think you can do that?"

Harry shook slightly. A secret? And he had to hide it from Hermione and Ron. They had shared everything since the first year. They would know if he was hiding something. _'But it won't be the first time. Surely he knows that if it deals with anything that would harm Dumbledore or the Order I wouldn't keep it.'_ Compressing his lips together, he decided to stick to his resolve to trust the man before him. "I can." As the words left his mouth, he watched an amazing thing happen. Snape smiled.

"Good. I want to reintroduce you to someone." Snape looked over at Urd. "Urd, Harry is here." He consciously didn't call him Potter. That name brought back the feelings of Harry's father, and he didn't want Harry to be associated with those feelings anymore.

Urd's eyes fluttered open as she stretched. "Sorry Severus. I didn't mean to doze." She caught sight of Harry. Quickly accessing the situation, she noticed that Severus looked more relaxed than he had been earlier today, and the kid looked happy but uncertain. _'They reached some sort of compromise. Good.'_ Walking towards the front of the room, she made sure that it was sealed as good as the study. They needed no ears to be listening in. "Thanks for warding the room, Severus." Turning to the kid, she reminded herself that she had to include him in this endeavor. "Harry... unfortunately you are required for my task to be completed. Not that I want to include you, but that is your fate and it can't be changed."

Harry's eyes flickered between the two professors. "Task?" Surely they couldn't be talking about Voldemort, but when anyone talked about fate and him in the same sentence it always seemed to include Voldemort.

Snape nodded. "Yes, it includes that Dark Lord. Urd has a few spells she want to teach you. But it has to remain a secret."

Urd raised an eyebrow. "A few spells, and I have to remove that taint out of your head as well. But that would best be done right before the main event." She looked at the shocked boy. "Think you are ready to help take out a demon and a reanimated person?"

Harry's eyes flickered between the two of them, trying to determine if they were joking. Seeing that they weren't, he drew in a deep breath. "Yes, I'm ready.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 - Training in earnest

_In case you didn't know, I don't own either the Potter universe (that one belongs to Ms. Rowling) or the Goddess Universe (that one belongs to Kōsuke Fujishima). The characters have just been telling me stories in my head. _

Harry had been uncertain if he could really learn the spell that Urd was teaching him. It was unlike any he had ever had to cast. But he kept at it and he was finally getting it right. Every other evening, he met up with her and Snape in an unused classroom. The warding that surrounded the room was something that he was sure that Umbridge would like to have on her office. No one, not even Miss Norris could enter the room, not without an invitation. And the only ones that were invited were Urd, him and Snape.

"Okay Harry... you need to see if you can cast it correctly tonight. If you can, then we can move onto the next phase." Urd folded her arms as she leaned back, looking at the teenager. She knew he could do this, it was just if he could do it under pressure. That was the worrisome thing. With a quick glance at Severus, she made sure that he was ready.

Harry lifted his wand and prepared himself. Unlike the patronous charm, he didn't have to think of anything in particular, he just had to make sure that he got it word and motion perfect. Not to mention the inflections. Hermione would be better at this than he was. He really wished that he could tell her or Ron. Looking at the stack of potion ingredients that he was casting upon, he tried. "Blood...Bone... Soul... Wanderer of the Empty Realm... it is time to return to you place, your home... Depart!" He flicked his wand on the first three word, corkscrewed it on the title section, and then zigzagged it on the next part, ending with a dismissive flick when he said "depart". He watched amazed as the ingredients glowed a bright white.

Urd smiled. "Good job. This is the third night that you have successfully cast it. Now, since we know that it is not going to be a calm moment when you get to do it for real, Professor Snape and I are going to make things a bit more interesting for you. You shall continue to cast the spell. This is all you are to concentrate on doing. You may dodge, you may have to nullify our spells, but you must cast the purification spell as fast as you can." Straighten up from the wall, she held out her wand. "Are you ready?"

Squaring his shoulders, he faced both of them. Snape looked a bit to please about this. "Ready." Even as the words left his lips, he had to dodge the first of many curses hurled his way.

It took him all of the remaining time, but he finally got the purification spell off correctly.

Urd's and Severus' eyes met briefly. He had done it, but it took too long. Severus snapped his wand pointing it at the boy. "You need to make it a bit quicker next time. If you were really facing the Dark Lord, you would be dead already."

Urd tipped her head sideways as she contemplated the teen who was breathing hard and then the glowing stack of ingredients. "But you did succeed. Next time, we'll see if we can make it faster. Now get off to bed. Good night Harry."

Harry looked from one to the other before leaving.

oooooooooooooooooooooo

Urd watched as the door closed behind the boy. Running her hand through her hair, she looked over at Severus. "You were right, he is pretty good with defense. I think in another week or two, he will be able to cast that no matter what we throw at him."

Snape flicked his eyes about the room, taking in the mess that was once a classroom. They had destroyed it while they were attempting to distract Potter. "I don't think this room can take us throwing anything stronger at him. As it is now, we are going to be caught. Someone is going to figure out that the room is being used just by looking at it.

Urd looked about at the destruction that laid about her. There were broken desks and tables. The board was cracked in at least three places. Not to mention the scorch marks on the floor. _'It is time to repair the damage.'_ Centering herself, she dredged up the peaceful feeling of a job well done. With her hands clasped in front of her, she sang softly to herself, letting the power flow out of her.

Snape watched as she looked about, appraising the situation. He was sure she was going to realize the problem in a moment. Instead, she began singing. Raising an eyebrow, he started to interrupt her, but stopped short when he saw the room repairing itself. As the song drifted to an end, the room looked even better than when they had entered it.

Urd looked around. "That's better. Okay, now we need to work on the next part." She held out a piece of chalk towards the potion master that was trying not to gawk. "You need to learn how to create a sealing circle and how to cast the seal."

Snape looked from her to the chalk that was resting lightly in her grip. "You want me to cast a circle?"

Nodding, Urd smiled at him. "I'm sure that you can. And you are the one who needs to do it. Harry is going to be busy purifying the Dark Lord, I'm going to be keeping the demon from destroying everyone, so that leaves you to draw and cast the circle. I have already cast most of the seal on the sealing vessel. All that remains is that it is placed into the circle and the correct spell is cast. That is your job."

Snape took the chalk out of her hand. "I have no clue what this circle is supposed to look like, nor how it is drawn. Is there a particular pattern to the drawing?"

"Of course there is. I told you that this wish was going to require exactitude." Producing her own piece of chalk, she dropped to the floor. "Are you ready to learn the basic circle to seal a demon?"

Snape looked from her to the chalk in his hand. The curious part of him, the one that had always wanted to know more and more, especially when it came to protection from the dark arts, won. Dropping to his knees, he set himself to learn. "I'm ready."

With her chalk held lightly, but firmly against the stone floor, Urd drew a large circle with one continuous motion. "You have to make sure that there is no breaks in the lines. If you do, it acts like a door that the demon can get out." She drew a second one just inside the first. The distance between the circles was the same all about the circumference.

Copying her action, Snape drew his own double circle. "It would be a weak point. So, the demon can push its way out. Right?"

Flashing him a good job look, Urd began the next set of lines. With five quick slashes, she drew a star that held a pentagram in the center of it. The points of the star pierced through the circles.

Snape copied her actions. His lines didn't quite make a perfect pentagram. Vanishing his attempt he started again. After his fourth attempt, Urd stopped him.

"You can keep practicing that later. Right now, we need to go over the runes that need to be written." It didn't take long for Urd to realize she was dealing with a perfectionist.

Sitting back on her heels, she gazed at the sealing circle. "You will need to summon him to the circle. For you, that shouldn't be too difficult. All you have to do is use the power of the dark mark." She ignored his flinch. "Once you have summoned him to you, you will need to activate the circle. Then you and I will finish the sealing." Reaching out towards a series of runes that were between the double circle, she tapped three of them. "These are the ones that activates the circle. You must say their names in order. Don't say them while the circle is drawn until it is time. We don't want the demon to know what we are doing."

"But I can practice them without the circle?" Her nod yes reassured him. Looking at the seal that he was sitting in the middle of, he tried to imagine him drawing it while there was a battle going on. "Surely it would be easier to draw the seal here before hand, and just make it appear there on the ground there." If the blanching of Urd's face was anything to go on, she didn't agree with him.

"The floor there is different. The stones are in a different pattern, the spaces are different, not to mention how worn they are. If you just transfer the circle, those differences won't be accounted for. It could leave breaks in the lines." She looked into his thoughtful gaze. "Sorry Severus, but it has to be drawn there. We just can't take a chance on a mistake."

Stepping out of the seal, he contemplated it. He was going to have to be controlled, not worrying about anything but getting this right. "Then I guess I better practice enough that it becomes second nature for me."

As he leaned back over to start again, he felt her hand on his shoulder. "Not tonight. Tonight, we need to get some rest. During the next session with Harry, you practice drawing, and I'll do my best to be a distraction to both of you."

Rocking back on his heals, he tried to ignore the tiredness that was rushing though him. He needed to get this down pat. The tiredness was refusing to be ignored. Sighing, he tucked his chalk into his robe pocket and stood up. "Then, we'll continue this tomorrow night." With a flick of a wand, he dismissed all their drawings. With the door closed behind them, the tired professor and goddess headed for bed.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Urd stumbled into the study early the next morning. There was not much left to do but she wanted to check on the potions once again. It was a worry that they were still sitting there in plain sight. Umbridge could walk into the room at anytime and mess with anything. She knew that Severus said that they would be fine, that that woman wouldn't mess with them, but it didn't stop her from checking on them every day. As she came through the door she noticed that one of the fireplace chairs was pulled over towards that back corner of the, for once, brightly lit room. It was near the shelf where the potions were stored. It took less than four heart beats to cross the room. The first thing she noticed was that the potions were still on the shelf. The second was that there was a perfectly drawn sealing circle drawn on the floor. The last thing she noticed was Severus asleep in the chair, a piece of chalk cracked on the floor from where it dropped from his lax fingers.

_'Up all night by the look of it. I wonder if he is going to be ready for his classes this morning.'_ Turning back to the circle, she settled next to the nearest point of the central star. Hoovering her fingers over the point where the star and the circle met, she called forth a tiny pulse of energy and let it flow out of her fingers and into the point. The energy raced about, filling the lines. Settling back on her heels, she observed the results of her test. If the energy completely filled the shape, then it was made correctly and was ready to be used. If even one section was powerless, then it would fail.

Severus cracked an eye, trying to figure out what had woke him up. _'Actually... when did I go to sleep? This is not my bed. What was I doing?'_ Memories of attempting to perfect the circle surfaced in the sleep shrouded mind. That was when he figured out what had woke him. Opening his eyes the rest of the way, he looked to see who was casting a spell near him. His eyes focused on the white haired goddess crouched on the floor, her robe tucked tightly under her legs, looking at his circle intently.

Urd heard the rustle of his robes as he sat up in the chair. With her eyes focused on the power that had now filled the entire circle, she tossed a question back over her shoulder at him. "Are you sure you're not Ravenclaw?"

Severus frowned at the back of her head. She dared to question his house? His tone showed his displeasure as he responded to her question. "I am most definitely Slytherin."

With a flick of her fingers, Urd dismissed the power that had filled the circle. She raised an eyebrow at his tone as she looked back up at him. "Or mayhap a Hufflepuff?" She watched as his face clouded over. "You have shown that you are hardworking, that you are intelligent, as well as interested in learning.

Drawing in a breath, Severus refused to let her goad him into arguing with her.

Urd watched as he decided not to respond. Tilting her head, she threw her next barb at him. She hated being ignored. "Of course! You should be in Gryffindor." She hid her smirk when he sat bolt up, his brow crashing down over his eyes. "You are courageous, brave, and have a lot of nerve. Three out of five basic traits... that is pretty good. It is even a better fit than..." She let the sentence hang as Severus' hand crashed down on the arm rest.

"I fit almost all the normal parameters for Syltherin. I am ambitious, cunning, resourceful."

Urd sank further back on her heels. "But staying up all night to complete this makes me think that you could easily have been comfortable in Ravenclaw. The tolerance part for Hufflepuff would have given you some issues, but other than that, I think you would have done well there, too."

Pulling himself together, he studied the woman. He knew that Urd could very easily be just trying to get a rise out of him, but he suspected that she had a deeper motivation. "Are you saying that you do not think that I am suitable for my current house? The one that I am the leader of, which is another Slytherin trait." Black eyes darkened even more as he watched her face, trying to pick out what she was trying to do.

"It is something that has been bugging me for a while. Each house has certain characteristics that exemplify the house and the students in them. But those characteristics are ones that should exemplify a wizard in general. They should all be hardworking, love to learn, ambitious, brave, etc. So, shouldn't a student be placed in a house where they can work on their weak areas. So, you would be put into Hufflepuff to work on your tolerance, and someone like Longbottom would be in Slytherin to work on their cunning and ambition. That way you don't end up with a house full of a bunch of courageous kids who don't think everything through. Or a group ambitious ones that are back stabbing each other to reach what ever top that they are aiming for. Not to mention ones that are so stuck in their books that they forget to take a chance on something that they have not researched. It doesn't even bare to mention the ones that let everyone pick on them, letting it wash right off their backs."

Severus blinked. That had made sense to his tired mind. But he didn't want it to. "So, who would be the heads of the houses in that type of system?"

"The one who showed the most of the houses traits, just as it is right now. But instead of managing a group of people just like them, or really close to it, they would be teaching those characteristic to the students in the group. Of course, there would be some students that are good at one or more of the house characteristics, but bad at others, so that they could also help teach the characteristics."

Severus rubbed his hands across his brow. "The founders of the school set it up this way, and I seriously doubt that it will change. But I can understand what you are saying." He decided not to tell her that he didn't agree. He couldn't image having to teach personality parts that came naturally to him. It was hard enough to teach potions to them, and they had books to help them.

Looking back at the circle, he decided to change the topic. "I guess that the circle is good then, as you wanted to place me in Ravenclaw."

Urd let him change the topic. "It is ready to go." Standing up she crossed over to the shelf where the sealing vessel was kept. "Just place this in the center of the star, and it will be complete." She set it lightly on the ground, centering it perfectly in the pentagram. "Then you would say the activation spell, followed by the rest of the runes." Picking the sealing vessel back up, she placed it where she got it from. She then looked from the circle to Severus. "But now we don't have time to practice. You've got classes soon, and I don't think that Umbridge is going to let me cover."

Hoisting himself out of the chair, Severus brushed the chalk dust off his robe. "Then shall we head for breakfast."

Vanishing the circle, Urd joined him. "Let's go."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16 - The Prelude

_In case you didn't know, I don't own either the Potter universe (that one belongs to Ms. Rowling) or the Goddess Universe (that one belongs to Kōsuke Fujishima). The characters have just been telling me stories in my head. _

Before they knew it, the O.W.L.S. were upon them. Urd settled deeper into a dark recessed niche as she watched the students rush past, some heading for the library, others heading towards whatever their favorite studying spot was. She spotted Harry with his normal two companions. _'The time is drawing near.' _She wasn't sure how she knew, but she could feel it in her bones. Soon, Harry was going to be summoned by the Dark Lord and Voldemort. They were going to have to be ready.

That evening, accompanied by a group of Aurors, Umbridge tried to have Hagrid arrested on who knows what charges. The fifth years who were takeing their Astronomy test watched as they attempted to stun him. When McGonagall attempted to intervene, Umbridge had her stunned. The older professor took four stun beams square in the chest. Hagrid left with Fang, his dog that was stunned, over his shoulders. McGonagall was placed in Pomfrey's reliable hands before been sent to St. Mungo's.

The next morning Urd watched as Severus paced from one end of his study to the other, the frown on his face looking like it was going to become permanent. "It's not going to help. She is going to be fine."

Severus' gaze snapped to her face. "How do you know? McGonagall... she ... she is a bit old to be hit with that many stun beams."

Urd stood up, straightening her skirt before she answered. "First, she maybe old, but she is stubborn and hard headed. There is no way she is going to let _that woman_ take her down. Second, you made the potion that Pomfrey gave her. Third, she is in Pomfrey's care, soon to be moved to whatever hospital you said." She looked at him hard, making sure he could see just how serious she was. He stopped pacing. "I have to go prepare for the last step. Harry is finally ready and I have a feeling it will be soon." Resting a comforting hand on his arm, she smiled up at him before she headed out the door. She passed Malfoy on the other side of the door.

Draco sneered at the white haired witch as she passed him. Knocking on the door, he waited for Professor Snape to give him permission to enter.

"Coming in." Snape looked at the blond haired boy as he entered.

"Professor, Headmistress Umbridge needs you in her office."

Nodding, he headed out the door wondering what she needed now.

Snape entered the office Umbridge was using since the Headmaster's office refused to admit her. As he greeted Umbridge, he looked about and took in the fact that the usual trio had acquired more help. Ginny he should have expected, she **was** a Weasley, but Longbottom and Lovegood were unexpected. They were being held by members of The Inquisition Squad, which was, of course, made of Slytherins. Draco was there with his two followers as well as other members of his house. Most of them were holding onto one of the troublemakers. The sight of so many of his house answering to this slimy toad of a woman's call roiled his stomach. _'What did Harry do this time? Not the floo again. She went on about someone in the floo network earlier. But that would be the only reason Harry would break into her office. And the only person he would contact through the floo would be Black. Why didn't he come to me instead? Gyrffindors need to think before they act sometimes.'_

At Umbridge's demand for Verutaserum, Snape felt like laughing. Surely she didn't use up all the bottle he had given her last time, it only took a few drops of the truth potion to work. _'Not that that bottle would have done anything, it was not truly Verutaserum. There is no way I would give her that much power.'_ The laughter was no where evident when he answered her. "The bottle I gave you last time you wanted to interrogate Potter was the last one in the school. Surely you didn't use it all?"

Umbridge's face told him the answer to that question even before she spoke. "You can make some more, can't you?"

"Certainly. It takes a full moon cycle to mature, so it should be ready in about a month." Snape kept his eyes trained on her, doing his best to ignore the frantic look on Harry's face and the dangerous color of Longbottom's. Every fiber of his being wanted to turn about and give Harry the dressing down he deserved for doing whatever stupid thing he had done to get caught. Even though they had been working together for a while now, or because of that, he wanted to tell the boy off. That would be bad because it was common knowledge that he was ignoring Harry's existence. The only time he spoke to the brat was during the special practices with Urd. And if he started on Harry, he was sure that he would snap at Crabbe to loosen his grip on Longbottom before the boy passed out. That would be out of character as well, though not as much.

By the time she mentioned Harry by name, he felt he could look at the boy. As his eyes met with Harry's, he could see the intense look in the boy's eyes. It was more direct that he had ever seen it, even when the boy was focused on Urd's training. He was sure that Harry was trying to communicate something to him. _'Something has happened to Black. Harry has that desperate look in his eyes. Really, if he needed to have someone check on an Order member, he should have come to see me. I could do it without all this ruckus.' _Keeping his face blank, he tried to figure out how to tell Harry that he was a fool without blowing his cover. Unfortunately, none came to mind. _'He looks like he already knows it anyway. Why would the boy get himself caught by Umbridge when we are this close to ending everything?'_

When Umbridge continued to pressure him for the potion, he finally suggested poison as an alternative. He wasn't sure she wouldn't take him up on it, so he added that Potter would be dead before he could say anything useful. Umbridge's shriek that he was on probation didn't phase him, and when she ordered him out of her office, he was glad to go. Something was happening and he had to figure it out.

It was the message that Harry shouted as he was about to leave the office that made everything click. It was actually time. The Dark Lord was using Black to draw Harry to the Ministry to get the prophecy. Umbridge's screeches demanded he tell her what Harry was talking about stopped him at the door. Keeping his face blank, he told Umbridge that he had no clue who Padfoot was and then gave into the need to keep Longbottom from changing anymore colors. Telling Crabbe to loosen his grip around Neville's neck, he closed the door behind him.

With quick steps he headed to his study. After he checked to make sure that Black was okay, just to be sure, he went to let Urd know.

He caught up with her at her bedroom door. Catching her eyes, he felt a bit of apprehension. They were about to grant his wish and he wasn't sure it was going to work. "The Dark Lord is summoning Harry to the Ministry of Magic."

Urd changed direction and headed for the study."Then we need to get moving. Are you ready?" Severus frowned at her for his reply. Of course he was ready.

Picking up the glass flower, Urd placed it into her bag with her talc bottle and the last two potions, one of which was in two separate flasks. Severus peered out the window and spotted Harry and Hermione heading for the Forbidden Forest with Umbridge in tow. He had no clue what they were up to, but given their past record, Umbridge would not be returning with them. Wrapping his fingers about his wand, Severus nodded. It definitely was time. They headed out to the meadow where the next part was to take place.

oooooooooooooooooooooo

Urd fumed as the others gathered around Harry. She had waited until the giant succeeded in giving them a chance to escape, and now, just as she was about to drag him off, the others showed up. Not that she wasn't happy. They had brought him his wand. But it would make things a bit more complicated. There were going to have to be explanations. Muttering under her breath, she pushed the branches out of her way. "It can't be helped." There in front of her were six friends clustered together trying to determine how to get to the Ministry. "Harry."

Harry jerked his head about, seeking the white spot in the gloom. "Professor Urd." Her presence told him that something big was about to happen. Tonight was the major battle.

"Let's go, we have a lot to do before you head to the Ministry." She gestured for him to follow her.

Harry looked at the others. He had tried his best to convince them not to come. This was not going to be a fun trip. And now he knew that he was going to face Voldemort, hopefully for the last time, but he didn't want any repeats of what had happened in the cemetery. He was sure he couldn't handle one of them dying. In the end, they had won the argument. They were not going to let him go alone.

"They can come to. But we need to hurry if you are to get there in time." Urd's gaze swept over the others.

They looked from Harry to Urd and then followed her. A few minuted later they stepped into a clearing.

Urd looked at her unwanted audience. Blowing out a sigh, she gestured towards the rocks. "Have a seat. As long as you inside the rock circle the centaurs will leave you alone." She then focused on Harry. "It is time, eh? Now, you do know that Black is okay, right?"

Harry's eyes widened. Even as she said that his scar hurt, throbbing painfully. "He is there... I asked Kretch and he said that he was in the Ministry. I know that Voldemort has him... he is torturing him."

Urd shook her head slowly. "No, he wants you to believe that. That is his bait to get you there. Professor Snape checked with Black right after he left you. Good clue by the way. And since Voldemort and the Dark Lord want you there, we are going. But before we do, I have to remove that taint." Reaching into her bag, she pulled out two bottles. Pulling the top out of the larger one, she handed it to him. "Drink this and then stand completely still. I have to put you into the circle."

Harry looked at the bottle for a moment. "Sirius is really alright?"

Urd nodded slowly. "As snug as a bug in a rug in that house of his. Now drink up so we can get this over with."

As he raised the bottle to his lips, he heard Hermione yelling at him not to drink it.

"You don't know what it is Harry. And we don't know who she works for!" She cast a suspicious look at the older woman.

Looking from the bottle to Urd, Harry raised an eyebrow.

Urd was tempted to shock the frizzy headed girl. _'You got to conserve your energy. Too much to do tonight.'_ She looked at the five teens standing next to the rock. Even as she looked at them, she noticed that they were starting to move. _'Oh no... you are not going to mess up my circle.'_ Lightening crackled on the ground before them. So much for conserving energy. "Don't move from where you are at. If you do, you can ruin everything." She looked back over at the teen she hoped would trust her. "Harry, that potion is a protection potion. To get rid of the taint that is marring you I have to use some pretty harsh magic. That potion is to make sure you come out of it in as good as shape as possible."

Harry watched as Ron made to break through the dancing lightening fence. "Guys, it's okay. I trust her. She is on our side."

Hermione frowned at him. "Is she part of the Order?"

"I never asked, but I know we can trust her." Harry brought the bottle to his lips and downed the potion quickly. The others stopped moving, watching him, hoping he was right.

Urd took the bottle from him as she dropped her lightening fence. Pulling out her wand, she levitated Harry into the center of her power circle. "Sorry for the inelegant way of getting there, but I had to complete the circle before you arrived. Now let's start..." Stepping to edge of the talc circle, she raised her hands and began to chant in Old Norse.

Hermione stepped closer, making sure that she didn't touch a single line. _'Runes... there are runes all over the place. I recognize that one over there it is begone, and this one, it is soul. But most of them I have no clue what they stand for.' _She looked at Professor Urd . _'And I have no clue what she is saying.' _She looked over at Harry. He seemed to be relaxed. Whatever Urd was doing was not hurting him.

Urd looked at Harry, checking to see how he was doing. His eyes were clear and bright, and he was still relaxed. _'Good, that means I have confined it. He is not feeling the pain from the horcrux.'_ Pulling out her wand, she floated the second bottle over until it was right above Harry's forehead. With the merest tilt of her wrist, she caused the potion to pour out over the scar that marred the boy's forehead. Then she waited, praying that he would make it.

Harry felt as if his head was being split wide open. That someone was hitting it with a bludger repeatedly. Falling to his knees, he wrapped his hands about his head, trying to hold it together.

Urd watched him, inwardly cringing as he cried out, his body shaking like a leaf in a storm. Calling on the power of the circle to help him, she watched him closely.

Ron and Hermione broke ranks first. Their steps were stopped on the outer edge of the circle. Hermione was sure that someone had cast Impedimenta on them.

Snape smirked as he stopped two of the three impetuous trio from messing up all the work that Urd had done so far. He wasn't sure just what would have happened if they had marred the talc lines, but he was pretty sure that Harry would have born the brunt of backlash. And by the look of the boy, he didn't really need to deal with that right now.

"You can't go to him. No one can enter that circle until the spell has run its course. Not even me." Urd's eyes never left Harry. His shaking was slowing down. And then she saw it, the black smoke bellowing up from between his fingers. "Go... go to Niflheim where you belong. Tell Hild that Urd sent you, and that the rest will be there soon." The smoke dissipated. "Harry?"

Harry lifted his head and looked at her. He felt like he had been battling for his life already and he had yet to confront Voldemort. Pushing himself up to his feet, he looked across the three feet of talc that separated him from the others. There was still too much to do, he couldn't stop now. "We need to get moving don't we?"

"In a moment, Harry. First I need to know how you are feeling."

"Like someone just beat me up. That my soul was almost ripped from my body..." He tried to forget the feelings that had coursed through him while he had trembled on the forest floor. A sense of urgency washed over him. There was much still to do tonight. "But we need to get moving." He pushed his hair back off of his forehead. When his fingers brushed over his scar, he realized it didn't throb anymore. His connection to Voldemort was gone. "What did you do?"

Urd vanished the talc circle. "I removed the horcrux that was lodged in your head. You have been carrying around a bit of the Dark Lord soul since you received that scar. The first potion I gave you was to prevent your own soul from leaving you. The second was to get the Dark Lord's out. It didn't want to go. You just fought for you life." Meeting his eyes, she handed him a cup of water. "Are you ready to do it again?"

Taking a long drought, he tried not to think about what she just said. There was time enough to think about it later. "I have to be. We have a mission to accomplish."

"Good." She held his eyes as she continued. She had to make sure he understood her directions. "Find whatever it is the Dark Lord wants, and then bring it back to the main hall where that statue is. The gold one. And then be ready. We're ending this tonight." Urd looked over at the little band that was still waiting. "Have you figured out how you are getting to the Ministry yet?"

Luna pointed over to the treeline where a group of thestrals were gathering. "We can ride them."

Urd smiled. "They'll definitely get you there. Good luck." Stepping back into the center of the clearing, she watched them approach the thestrals.

Harry looked back. "Aren't you coming?"

Urd nodded. "I'll be there."

With a nod, he help the ones who could not see the winged horses mount. Pulling himself up onto the last one, he looked back at the white haired witch. "See you there." Looking back at his friends, he gestured towards the sky. "Let's go."

Urd watched as the children flew away into the night sky. Turning slightly, she looked into the darkest section of the clearing. "Are you ready, Severus? And thanks for stopping them from marring the circle."

Snape stepped out of the shadow carrying two brooms. "Your welcome. So, we are off to the Ministry?"

Urd shook her head. "No, not yet. We have one other stop to make. " She looked over at Severus as she held up a small flask that contained half of the second potion she had dumped on Harry. "We need to go where that large green snake is."

Snape felt his eyes widen. "Nagini... it is always with him."

Urd shook her head. "Not tonight. Tonight he left her at home while he goes to get whatever he wants Harry to pick up for him."

"We'll have to get to the Ministry real quick afterwards." Snape handed her a broom.

Urd settled on to the broom. "Then you can apparate us there, or we can use his fireplace." She let her broom climb higher. "Shall we?"

Mounting his broom, he headed off. As she followed, he acknowledged that they were going to be on a tight time schedule.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17- The Prize

_In case you didn't know, I don't own either the Potter universe (that one belongs to Ms. Rowling) or the Goddess Universe (that one belongs to Kōsuke Fujishima). The characters have just been telling me stories in my head. _

Urd's heels clicked on the stone pathway that led to the door of one of the most disreputable houses she had seen in a long while. She glanced over at her companion. "Are you sure that the Dark Lord has been staying here? It looks so beneath him."

Severus looked over the building as she echoed a thought that had been chasing itself though his subconscious for quite sometime. "It is because he is trying not to draw notice to himself. The wizarding world wants to delude itself into believing that he has not returned, and he has decided not to disillusion them just yet."

Nodding as if she didn't believe the excuse, Urd wrinkled her nose. The wind had just brought her a whiff of the demon smell that clung about the house like a mantle. Severus appeared to be undisturbed by the odor. _'Either that or he can't smell it.'_ Her steps ended at the door. "So, what types of traps can I expect here?"

"None. He didn't think that anyone would penetrate into his territory this deep. Or if they did, they would be a prisoner." He pushed the door open and led the way. "The most you have to worry about is rotten floor boards and stairs. But most of them have been found and repaired." The stairs creaked ominously under their feet.

Urd wrinkled her nose as they entered a room at the top of the stairs. The demon taint was the strongest here. Gritting her teeth, she whispered a small air spell to push the stench away. It was low power enough that it shouldn't hurt her energy level much. As she completed the spell, she spotted her target. There, next to the fireplace, was the large green snake, the one Severus called Nagini. Digging out her chalk, she headed towards the sleeping reptile to draw her circle.

Severus watched as she started to draw a circle that was completely different than the sealing circle he had learned and the circle Harry had stood in earlier. He flickered his gaze over at the sleeping snake. He froze when he realized that Nagini was no longer asleep. "Urd... she is awake."

Urd paused a moment to look at the snake that was watching her. In that moment, Nagini decided to strike. Urd rolled over and dodged the attack. Grabbing a piece of firewood, Urd perched on it and floated off the floor just as the snake attacked again.

Snape snapped an Impedimenta charm off as Nagini lunged at Urd, freezing it with its mouth open right below Urd dangling feet.

Looking down at the large snake, she pulled out the small flask. "I was going to try and do this the nice way, but you aren't going to let me." Uncorking the bottle, she poured the potion into the snake's open mouth.

The green snake fell to the ground writhing about as a dark cloud billowed about it. The skin turned a dark sickly green before turning a motley gray and the snake stilled. Urd watched as the dark soul drifted off, finding its way to Niflheim, the demon realm.

Severus watched as she flew the log over the dead snake before landing next to him. He tried not to be impressed. It took a lot to control anything that was not a broom.

Holding out her hand to him, she gestured to the fireplace. "Shall we go. I think we are being waited on."

Severus looked at the fireplace with trepidation. Sure, he had seen her use the fireplace many times without using floo powder, but he wasn't sure if he was up to trying it.

Grabbing his hand, she dragged him into the flames with her. Before the flames even had time to lick against his clothes, he notices that they were rushing though a flood of energy that was nothing like the floo network. Even as he tried to analyze what was happening, they were standing in a fireplace in the Ministry. 

ooooooooooooooooo

Harry and company stepped off the golden lift on level nine, the Department of Mysteries. Looking at them, he tried not to sigh. "Listen, maybe someone should stand guard. We are going to have to come back to this place."

Hermione and Ron cornered him. Folding their arms across their chest, they looked at their best friend. Ron started first. "Okay, you better start explaining."

Hermione pressed her lips lightly together before biting out her words. "We've been together and into way too much for you to even think of leaving us out. Start talking. What is going on?"

"If you don't tell us, we can't help." Ron continued, his eyes pleaded with Harry to fill them in.

Harry eyes flickered between the two before closing his eyes. There before him was Snape talking about his punishment. The promise to keep a secret. But he was now standing in the Ministry, about to face who knew what. And they were with him, also facing whatever danger he was about to face. They needed to know. _'Surely Snape would understand if I just told them a bit. He wouldn't want them to get hurt because they had no clue.'_ Opening up his eyes, he sighed. This was going to be tough. _'Then take it like an adult. Confronting Snape was hard, too. And a lot more scary that facing these two.'_ Meeting their gaze, he started talking. "I am going to confront Voldemort here. He wants me to get something that he has shown me through those dreams..."

Ron interrupted. "You mean those nightmares you kept getting?"

Harry nodded a quick yes. "And once I get it, they are going to get Voldemort to appear. We are supposed to meet them back at the place with the large golden statue. That is where the major confrontation is supposed to happen."

"Who are they? Is the Order part of this?" Hermione raised an eyebrow as she waited for her answer.

"Snape and Urd. The rest of the Order isn't. But it is going to work. This will be the end of Voldemort." His eyes begged them to believe him.

Hermione frowned slightly before nodding. "So, this is what you've been keeping quiet about, isn't it. Ron and I were betting on whether you had continued your lessons with Snape. I guess you did." She flickered her gaze over towards Ron. "You win the bet."

Ron tossed her a half cocked smile before looking back at Harry. "So, what is the plan from here to picking up whatever it is, and how are we getting back in one piece. If ... that guy wants you to collect something for him, he is sure to have sent someone to pick it up from you once you've got it."

Harry's eyes widened slightly. He hadn't thought that far ahead. Luna answered before he could say anything. For once her dreamy eyes looked sharp. "We need to mark our path. If we are just following dream memories, then we need to be careful."

Neville reached for his wand. "We can make fire arrows to point our way."

Hermione smiled at him. "They should only point the way that we are walking, so that we can then use them to show the way out."

All eyes turned back to Harry. He lifted his wand and inscribed an arrow pointing to a door. It hung in the air. "This way."

The group followed Harry into a round chamber that had identical doors. There were candles with blue flames situated between each one. Everything but the candlelight was black.

Ron kept his hand on the door that they came through, holding it open. "How are we going to mark which door we came through?" He had been Harry's friend long enough to know that when you are afraid and running for your life, you might forget the way out.

Turning around to face him, Hermione inscribed a quick check mark on the door. "There, now we will know which one it is if we get turned about." She turned back to Harry. "Which door did you go through in your dream?"

"The one straight ahead." He started to walk towards it as Ron closed the one they came through. He stopped as the room started spinning. When they stopped everyone looked for the door with the check mark on it. It was still there. They then looked back at Harry. "We should try the doors, and mark out the ones that are not it. We want a room that... glitters. "

Ginny looked from Harry to the doors. "So, if the room seems to glitter we call you over to check it out."

Hermione stared at the doors for a moment. "And don't shut the door until all of us have checked ours. Also don't forget to "X" out the one that don't match. So then if the room spins again, we know which ones they are."

The friends scattered and opened different doors and peering behind them. Bright red "Xs" appeared or Harry was called over to check it out and then an "X" was inscribed. Opening another door, Harry peered into a room of sparkling dancing light. "This is it!" A quick flick of his wand inscribed an arrow pointing their directions as he headed for the only door in the room. Opening that door, he knew that they were close. "Wands out everyone. We are almost there."

Everyone knew what the unspoken part of his statement was, Death Eaters had to be close. As they walked into a room of dusty orbs set up on long tall shelves, Harry wondered what they were. Signaling them closer, Harry leaned over and whispered. "Okay, we are looking for row number ninety-seven. I think that he wants one of these orbs. Don't pick any of them up. That might draw him out before we are ready. As soon as I pick it up, be ready to get back to the main room. On my signal, run for it." Acknowledging his order, they spread out to search for the row.

Hermione's breathy whisper called them over to where she was at. "Ninety-Seven." She pointed down the row. Everyone knew that whatever Voldemort wanted was down that aisle.

Ron looked at the narrow aisle. "Harry, it looks like it is the perfect set up for a trap. Led your opponent into a tight spot and then corner him."

Harry's stopped with one foot started on the path. He glanced back at the person he had come to respect as one of the best tacticians in Gryffindor. "What should we do?"

The red head looked about slowly. "I hate to say it, but we should split up. Some of us should be on the other aisles, or over there in the shadows would be better. Then we might be able to surround them."

Neville compressed his lips together. "If we get them surrounded, I don't think we can take them out. We have to distract them long enough to get the others out, and then we all flee."

Ginny glanced between Ron and Harry. She moved closer to Harry. "I'm going with Harry. I won't look as imposing, and I am smaller, so I can worm out easier if need be."

"Harry, Ginny and Hermione will find the object. Neville, Luna and I will hide until we are needed." Ron gestured for them to disperse. Harry waited until the other three had disappeared into the darkness before starting back down the aisle.

"Harry, there is a paper here with your name on it." Hermione's finger brushed through the air over the faded yellow paper.

Harry peered up at the paper. When he saw the Dark Lord's name as well, he knew that this had to be what he was there to get. Reaching out slowly, he checked to make sure everyone was ready. With the slightest nods from both Ginny and Hermione, he picked up the dusty glass orb.

When Lucius Malfoy's voice drawled from behind him, he knew that he had been right. "Give it to me."

Harry turned to look at the collection of Death Eaters that were appearing into the dimly lit aisle. _'They are apparating in. Behind and ahead of us. We just need to get through the ones in front and then make it to the main room. Then this will be all over.'_ He tightened his grip on the glass ball as he garnered up his courage. He had to give the others time to get ready. "Is Voldemort so powerless that he can't collect a glass ball all by himself, and are you so weak that you can't do it either. That is pretty sad, Malfoy."

Malfoy raised an eyebrow as Bellatrix screeched behind him. Her voice, with a tone that could break glass, came over his shoulder. "You dare... you dare to say his name you little half-blood..."

Catching Ginny's and Hermione's attention, he hope that they understood that it was about time. Raising his wand slightly, he continued provoking the insane woman. "Sure, why not, he is a half-blood as well." He listened to her sputter as he continued. It was almost time. He could see the shadows shifting behind her. Experience told him that that shadow was Ron. "Or I guess I could call him Tom? Or even Lord Riddle? His dad was a muggle lord after all."

She shot a spell at him, attempting to stupefy him. Malfoy blocked it. Without taking his eyes off Potter, he scolded her. "Do not break the prophesy. The Dark Lord would be most displeased."

"PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!" Three voices sounded out of the darkness and the Death Eaters that blocked Harry's way fell. Harry, Hermione, and Ginny were on the other side of them before they had hit the floor, stiff as the boards that had landed on.

"Run!" Harry knew he didn't have to say it, but it felt right. Even as spells from the other Death Eaters flew at them, they pelted down the aisles until they reached the door. Following the arrows, they streaked back to the main room with the Death Eaters on their trail.

When they finally made it, they dodged about hunting for cover. The Death Eaters were right behind them. Malfoy looked about, spotting the trailing ends of the robes as they ducked into the nooks and crannies "Come out, Potter. There is no use in hiding. We will find you and you will give us the prophesy."

Bellatrix cackled as she grabbed a hold of Neville and dragged him out. "Give us the prophesy or we'll see how long it take this one to crack." She raised her wand and pointed at him.

Neville struggled against her grip. "Harry, don't!"

Bellatrix grinned. "Oh, so, you want to see how long you can last?" She cackled as one of the other Death Eaters pinned the boy to the ground. "_Crucio!_" She watched in delight as the boy curled up in pain and his screams bounced off the walls.

Harry glanced about, hunting for Urd and Snape. Surely they would be here soon. Standing up, he stepped out of hiding. Holding the glass orb out at shoulder height, he faced the thin mad woman. "If you continue, I'll drop it."

Malfoy smirked. _"Accio prophesy!" _

The ball pulled in Harry's fingers. Holding it tightly, he was pulled across the floor with the orb. Suddenly, the room was filled with members of the Order and Sirius stepped between Harry and Malfoy, stopping his forward movement. It took only a few minutes to have the room cleared of both the Death Eaters and the Order as individual battles broke out and they scattered back through the halls.

Harry slumped against the wall, the glass orb clutched tight in his fist. This had to be over soon. It just had to be. A glance to his left showed him the others that had come with him. Hermione had pulled Neville out of the way as soon as the battle had erupted around them. Luna was huddled with Ginny in a small nook, and Ron was crouched behind the golden statue.

A cold voice echoed through the room. "Potter... I see you have escaped my minions." A tall thin man with a black hood emphasizing his snake-like white face stood facing the teen that was no longer slumped against the wall. The scarlet slit-pupil eyes stared at him and the prophesy that was still clutched in his hand. "I see you have kept my prophesy safe for me." Raising his wand, he smiled cruelly at the boy. "So, let me hear this prophesy. Don't scream too loud as you die. AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Harry was frozen. No matter the hours he spent preparing for this moment, he still could not think straight. All he could do was stare dumbly as the curse came flying at him. Then a golden wall appeared between him and the curse. It took him a moment to realize that it was the golden wizard statue. Somehow, it came to life.

"What?...Who?" Voldemort's voice echoed about the room. "Dumbledore!" The name was almost said in awe.

Harry peaked out from behind the golden wizard in time to see Dumbledore dodge a sheet of green fire.

"There are Aurors on their way." Dumbledore's voice sounded like he was serving someone tea. He flicked his wand and a spell that caused Harry's hair to raise flew across the room.

Suddenly, the golden wizard pushed Harry against the wall. The orb was knocked out of his grip. It fell, breaking on the stone floor and releasing a silver vapor. The vapor started speaking, but Harry couldn't hear it over the spells flying about. Shifting his weight, he felt his foot crunch in the glass. _'I have to spell Voldemort. I have to do it while he is distracted. If I can do that, then they can do the next part when they get here.'_ Dipping a bit, he tried to get out from behind the statue. The statue blocked him. Growling under his breath, he tried to go over the shoulder. He was blocked again. Raising his wand, he tried to get a clear shot from where he was standing. Even as the first word was spoken, the statue blocked his view. Growling under his breath, Harry tried to figure out how to stop the statue. _'Hermione would know.'_ He felt his eyes widen slightly as an idea lodged in his brain. Scooting along the wall, he headed for where he remembered Hermione was. He knew he had to pass everyone else to get to her. All he had to do was collect everyone behind the statue, then he would get Hermione to spell it to guard them and free him to work.

Spells whizzed past as he neared where he could see Ron hiding behind the remnants of the statue. With a quick gesture, Harry got Ron to join him. They continued inching towards the others. "We have to get everyone behind this wizard. Dumbledore has it spelled to protect me since he didn't know all of us were here. But if we are all behind it..." He let his sentence trail as they came closer to Luna and Ginny.

Ron finished for him. "Then we all can be protected. We just have to position ourselves correctly."

As Luna and Ginny joined them, Luna looked vaguely towards the battle. "Aren't you supposed to be doing something, Harry?"

Harry frowned slightly. "I have to make sure all of you are safe first." _'And I need Hermione to get this statue to leave me alone.'_

They finally reached the last two of their party. Harry looked at Neville. "Is he okay?" His worried glance shot to Hermione. Her nod reassured him.

"I'm fine, Harry. Now, what do we need to do? And where is that orb?" Neville looked Harry over, looking for the glass ball.

"The thing broke. It was saying something, but I have no clue what, the noise was too much." He looked over at Hermione. "I need to cast a spell and this statue keeps blocking me. Hermione, is there anyway you can get it to protect all of you and leave me alone?"

Ron noticed Ginny's face darkening. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he stopped her from speaking. "What can the rest of us do to help while you are casting the spell?"

Looking his best friends in the eye he answered earnestly. "Help keep him distracted."

As the other agreed, Hermione pulled out her wand. It was time to start changing spells.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18 - A Demon, An Undead Wizard, A Goddess and Fate

_In case you didn't know, I don't own either the Potter universe (that one belongs to Ms. Rowling) or the Goddess Universe (that one belongs to Kōsuke Fujishima). The characters have just been telling me stories in my head. _

Stepping out of the fireplace, Severus took in the scene before him. Harry and the others were rushing about the room, hiding where they could. They were followed quickly by a group of Death Eaters. Pulling his wand, he headed for the fray. He wasn't sure what side he would pretend to be on, he had been playing on both side for so long, but he did know that he wasn't going to let his students end up on the wrong side of an Unforgivable Curse.

Urd stopped him. Whispering, she held his arm in a grasp he could not break. "We can not show up until the Dark Lord appears. The kids can handle this themselves."

Severus growled under his breath. His freedom from all this was so close he could taste it. But it wasn't here yet. Settling back into the shadows, he waited, his knuckles white from his grip on his wand. When Bellatrix used the Cruciatus curse on Longbottom, he watched helplessly while Urd's fingers dug into his arm.

Urd stared at the cackling woman and almost zapped her just so the woman could know what pain felt like. Digging her nails into her palm, she waited. She was after a bigger fish.

Severus watched with a mixture of horror and pride when Potter stepped out and threatened to break the prophesy. He was surprised that Urd let go of his arm when Malfoy pulled Harry and the orb towards him. Wand out, he headed for them. He was uncertain how he was going to do it, but he knew that he was going to stop this. He ducked into the shadows once again when the rest of the Order appeared. He looked towards Urd when she ducked into his hiding place.

"If one of them hurt another one of those children, I will personally see that they regret it." Focusing on Severus, she increased the intensity, but not the volume, of her voice. "My job is to distract and protect, Harry's is to cast the purification spell. Yours is to..."

Severus finished it for her. "Mine is to draw the circle and cast the spell. Should I draw it before he gets here, or should I wait until they arrive?" Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Order chase the Death Eaters back into the halls of the Ministry.

"It has to be after he arrives. If he feels it, he won't come." She handed him the bag that was hanging off her shoulder. "The sealing vessel and the chalk are in here. Once he appears, find a spot as close as you can and start drawing."

Taking the bag, he nodded. _'Exactitude, that is what she said was necessary. She forgot to mention locking up feelings and being a perfectionist. Luckily I have lots of practice with all three things.'_ Digging out a piece of chalk, he reviewed the patterns in his head. He had to draw them quickly and perfectly.

When the Dark Lord appeared in the hall, he slipped out of his hiding place. As he moved closer, he notice Harry standing there as if in shock. _'Harry... get a move on it. We have to get this done as fast as possible.'_ He felt part of his mind scream when the Dark Lord began to cast the killing curse. He started running. The only thing that stopped him from continuing on to knock Harry down was spotting Dumbledore. He was sure that the headmaster would protect the boy. He used his momentum to dodge the rebounding spell as it bounced off the golden statue that had suddenly moved in front of Harry. Tucking in behind the security officer's desk, he peered to see what was going on. He spotted Dumbledore striding across the floor, confronting the Dark Lord. _'He will distract him. I need to use this distraction and get busy.'_ He flickered a glance towards where Harry had been a moment ago and noticed that he was trapped behind the wizard from the statue. Moving carefully, he dodged spells as he tried to get closer. He had to get Harry out from behind that statue or else everything would fail. White hair fluttered into his field of vision. It was followed by a pair of purple gray eyes that were flashing at him.

"What are you doing? You are supposed to be drawing a sealing circle." Severus gestured to the caught Harry. Urd frowned slightly. "It is my job to handle that. You are to handle getting that circle drawn right. Once it is done, then you can help." She ducked as a spell blew by. Frowning slightly, she judged the power being tossed about. Wrapping her fingers about one of her bracelets, she pulled it off followed by another one.

Severus watched as the bracelets dissolved into to floating sparkles.

Urd looked over at him. "Get the circle done. I will handle the rest." Even as she spoke, they watched as Harry edged about the room, gathering his friends behind the statue. "He has it under control. I'll make sure he gets free enough to do his part."

Settling the chalk comfortably into his grip, Severus glanced at the events that were playing about him. Spotting an area that appeared out of the main fight zone, but close enough to be considered in the battle zone, he headed for it. Moving the bag so that it was trapped on his back, he started his part. The chalk crumbled smoothly on the stone, leaving a clean line in its wake.

Urd moved around the perimeter of the room. As she approached the statue she felt a spell cast that controlled the movements of the statue.

Harry stepped out from behind it. Spotting Urd, he gripped his wand tighter. "I'm sorry that it has taken this long..."

She dismissed the rest of what he was going to say. "It's fine. Now is the time for you to get busy. Cast as soon as you can, but wait until I get the demon to appear. Once he is here, take down that walking dead man. Severus is already getting ready."

A quick glance showed him that Snape was already drawing the circle. Pulling his wand out, he prepared to take the undead wizard down. "I'm ready."

"Then it is my turn." Harry and the rest watched as she walked towards the battling wizards.

Urd calmly stepped between the two wizards. With her hands outstretched, she blocked the spells that they had both thrown. Voldemort and Dumbledore stared at her in amazement. "Headmaster Dumbledore, I must ask you to step aside. This is now my fight."

Dumbledore frowned at the visiting professor as his mind was trying to take in the fact that she just blocked their spells without taking any damage. "Professor, I fear it is you should move out of the way. I'm sure you don't know who I am facing, but I assure you, he won't hesitate to kill you. "

Urd smiled at him before turning to face her enemy. "I do know exactly who you are facing: The Dark Lord Tom Riddle and the demon Voldemort. And he won't succeed in killing me, no matter how hard he tries."

The Dark Lord's eyes narrowed when she named Voldemort as a demon. "And just who are you?"

Urd let her robe dissolve into the outfit that Severus had first seen her in. As she did, a demon appeared next to the Dark Lord. His dark hair was in stark contrast of his snow white skin. The two together made his red eyes stand out even more, like burning embers. The only other mark that was on his skin was three red dots, one between his eyes, and the others on either side of his head, at the top of his cheek bones.

The red eyes narrowed as the demon looked at the white haired goddess. "Lord Hild?"

Urd tilted her head slightly. "Have you been here so long that you can't even tell the difference between me and Hild? Do you really think that the Lord of the Demons would bother to come deal with you?"

Voldemort flinched slightly as he focused on the blue marks that were blazed on her forehead and cheeks. "So, you are the traitor, Urd. The one who deserted her mother to become a goddess?"

Severus worked quickly, making sure that the lines were complete. He knew it would be a fatal error if there was a slightest break. As he wrote out the runes, he made sure not to say them in his head. The last thing he wanted was to accidentally power up the circle prematurely. When the circle was finished, he gently set the sealing vessels into the circle. Voldemort's statement penetrated his concentration and he tried not to stare. She was the daughter of a demon? The unlikelihood of that swirled about him, but it explained a lot of small things he had observed.

Urd's eyes narrowed slightly. "I am Urd, Second class Goddess, and I am here to deal with you, a demon playing in a realm where you do not belong."

Dumbledore stared at them, his mind whirling. He quickly assessed the situation and realized that if this really was a battle between a Goddess and a Demon, then he might need to move to the sidelines as Urd had suggested. _'But just what is a goddess doing here? And how did she know he was a demon?'_

"Deal with me? You? You were a pathetic excuse for a demon, and I am sure you are the same as a goddess." Raising his hands, he shot green jets of flame straight at Urd.

Dodging the fire, Urd caught Harry's eyes and flickered her gaze towards the Dark Lord.

Shaking off his amazement, Harry focused on his task. Raising his wand, he started his spell. "Blood...Bone... Soul..." Dodging quickly, he rolled across the stone floor as one of the demons spells ripped through the air where he had been standing. Tucking himself into the spot where Ron had hidden earlier behind the statue, he started again. ""Blood...Bone... Soul... Wanderer of the Empty Realm..." This time, the Dark Lord spun about and cast the killing curse towards him.

A lightening bolt struck the reanimated wizard square in the back. "I don't think it is wise to ignore your opponent, do you?"

The Dark Lord glared at her. "Crucio!" The spell streaked though the air only to stop inches from her face.

With a flick of her fingers, she dispersed it. "Really, you don't know what pain is. Should I let you taste what real pain feels like?"

Voldemort smirked. "So, are you coming back to the demonic side? A goddess would never make an offer like that." Fire balls danced about his head, waiting for a target.

"No, I just know Hild well enough to know what she has planned for him will be far worse than anything he has ever experienced."

The demon's eyes narrowed and all five fireballs targeted her. Dancing about, she avoided two of them. Quickly pulling up a lightening shield, the others smashed into it, spraying flames in all directions.

Harry ducked once again. After the flames passed over his head, he started again. He knew he couldn't give up. "Blood...Bone... Soul... Wanderer of the Empty Realm... it is time to return to your place, your home... Depart!"

The spell hit the Dark Lord square in the back. Hermione, Ron and the others hidden behind the golden wizard watched as the man they knew as Voldemort lit up like a firefly.

Dumbledore stared as the snake-like face glowed, outlining the bone structure that was covered with taunt pale skin.

Severus waited with baited breath as half of his wish was granted. The Dark Lord was no more. As the light faded, all that was left was an empty black robe discarded on the stone floor.

"NO!" The demon Voldemort spun about, spotting the boy who had cast the purification spell. "Die... you should have already died... now you shall truly do so!" Raising his hand, he inscribe a rune into the air. Pushing his hand through the writing, he sent the curse flying towards the boy that had destroyed all his plans.

Ron and Neville quickly pulled Harry behind the statue. The spell started to follow.

Lightening hit the demon square in the back, breaking his concentration.

"Expelliarmus." Dumbledore sent the spell towards the flying curse, hitting it and knocking it off course. The curse hit a niche statue, shattering it into millions of pieces.

Urd threw another lightening bolt at the demon, dragging his attention back to her. "I am your opponent." Lightening bolts fired rapidly from her hands, causing Voldemort to dodge about to avoid them. _'Hurry up Severus.'_

Severus stood just inside of the sealing circle, unconsciously mimicking Urd's normal stance. Resting his fingers over the Dark Mark on his left arm, he called the demon to him.

Voldemort felt the pull and tried to resist. Whoever needed him at that moment, didn't need him more than he needed to deal with this goddess. Unfortunately for him he had not set up the marks in a way that the one summoned could ignore the summoning.

Urd watched as Voldemort tried to resist the pull. She flickered her eyes towards Severus and noticed that even though his face was pale and drawn, he was standing just inside the circle. _'Using the mark must be hard on someone who wants free of it.'_

ooooooooooooooooooooo

Malfoy frowned as the summoning distracted him. A quick glance show that the other Death Eaters that were still with him also felt the pull. They had to get back to the main lobby. As he prepared to apparate, Black's spell exploded next to his face. Knowing that he couldn't concentrate while spells were being thrown at him, he took off, heading towards the summoning.

ooooooooooooooooooooo

Severous watched as Voldemort was pulled into the circle. Stepping out quickly, He started the spell, closing the door that allowed the demon to enter the circle.

"No! What is this?" The demon glared at the dark haired potions master. "You... You were my follower. What are you doing?"

Dumbledore blinked a moment when he realized who it was standing just outside the circle. "Severus? What are you doing here? Who is protecting the school?"

Urd walked over to the circle. With a quick glance at her partner, she nodded. "Voldemort, it is time for you to go." Cracking her knuckles, she glance at her shoulder. "World of Elegance, it is time."

Severus tried not to stare at the ghostly shape that floated above the goddess' shoulder. _'When did ghosts have wings?'_ Forcing his attention on to the circle, he continued the spell he had started. He heard Urd join in and a third voice joined theirs. He wondered if it was World of Elegance.

Harry stared at the angel that was floating next to Urd. At least he thought she was an angel, though he had never seen a picture of one that had one black and one white wing. And that color motif continued through her hair and dress, half black and half white. He was jerked out of his musings by the sound of running feet. He and the others barely had time to face the door before the Death Eaters rushed back through.

Malfoy looked about, trying to spot the one who summoned them. The sight that met his eyes shook him. Snape was working with a white haired witch who was under the control of a ghost, Dumbledore was watching them from the side of the room, the children were clumped near part of the golden statue that normally graced the center of the room, and there was a black robe that was lying in the center of the room. Flickering his eyes towards Snape, he tried to figure out what he was doing. There, in the center of a chalk circle, was a being that looked similar to the Dark Lord, but there were enough differences that he didn't jump to its defense. Not so with Bellatrix. She surged into the room, streaking across it, wand at the ready.

Harry jumped between Bellatrix and her destination. It was his turn to cause the distractions. "Where are you going?"

Bellatrix attempted to dodge around him. Her attempt was foiled as the other children streaked out, flanking their leader. Raising her wand, she aimed at them. "Cruc..."

Dumbledore's voice stopped her. "Bellatrix, that would not be a good thing to do, don't you think. That is not your Voldemort over there."

She flickered her wild eyes towards him. "Dumbledore... you were always a fool. You never understood my Lord's visions and dreams." She looked back at the circle where the tall white-skinned red-eyed person writhed as if in pain. Raising her wand, she started back towards him.

Dumbledore noticed that the other Death Eaters had crowded into the room. Taking a moment, he cast an Anti-Disapparition Jinx before walking over to block her progress.

Hermione watched as the other members of the Order busted into the room. They charged their previous opponents. A group of Aurors appeared right after them.

With his arms spread out, Harry backed his group up until they were out of the way of the charging pairs. Once they were clear, the group joined into the fray. Ron and Ginny purposely avoided where their Dad was fighting, hoping that he would not notice them there.

Urd watched the demon that was fighting the tooth and nail. Reaching deep inside of herself, she released all the power she could into the the sealing circle. She could feel World of Elegance's help in guiding the energy.

Severus almost backed away from the circle as it flooded with power. Steeling himself, he kept chanting the spell. He was almost finished with the runes that lined the star. Blinking slightly, he forced his mind to stay on task, though the further he went, the more it felt like he was trying to heft a mean adult dragon.

Voldemort fought, struggling not to be jammed into the glass vessel that was trying to suck him in. He refused to be sealed by this ex-demon and his own minion.

With sweat drenching his hair and body, Severus ground out the last two runes. The pressure popped, vanishing so quickly that he would have fallen except that a glowing white hand stopped him. Blinking he stared at the ghost that had been floating above Urd's shoulder. The long black strip that ran down her arm to her hand caught and held his attention until hair as white as Urd's brushed across his face. Looking up he stared into the gentle face that smiled back at him. Black hair joined the white.

Urd sank to her knees and rested her fingers just outside of the circle. She had had just enough power to seal him. Father had been right, she only needed to remove two bracelets. Glancing over at Severus, she noticed that World of Elegance was holding him up. "Severus Snape, meet my angel, World of Elegance. World of Elegance, this is Professor Severus Snape."

Severus looked from the goddess to the angel and back again. "She is an angel? I guess that makes sense as you are a goddess." He flickered his eyes towards the circle and the glowing glass flower in the center of it. "Is it really over?"

Urd glanced behind her. All the Death Eaters had stopped their attacks, staring about as if they had lost something precious. The mad woman was screeching and crying, tearing at her left arm. The Order and the Aurors formed a ring about them, watching to see what they were going to do. "It is. Your wish has been granted. Now you can stand squarely in the light."

Severus' eyes flickered between the glowing flower and Urd. "He said you were the daughter of a demon. Is that true?"

Giving him a half grin, Urd sighed. "Yes. I also know what it is like to stand on both sides. My mother is the Lord of the Demons and my father is The Almighty, the head of the gods. I chose to be a goddess instead of a demon. I also chose to stand in the light."

Severus' eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled. "That explains why you would have been excellent member of the Slytherin house."

Urd tilted her head just slightly. "If my new system was implemented, I would be in Hufflepuff."

"Tolerance?" He was sure that was the reason, he had watched her deal with Umbridge and Draco Malfoy. When she nodded yes, he couldn't help but laugh.

The room turned and stared at the laughing potions master. Dumbledore was the first to break their stunned silence. "Severus, my dear boy, what happened?"

Avoiding Urd's gaze, he got control of himself. "We were discussing a new way to form the houses at Hogwarts. Her idea is still funny."

Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magis, walked into the room and silence once again fell. "Dumbledore, you dare to enter the Ministry?"

"I had to come, Voldemort decided that he need to make an appearance." Dumbledore glanced back at the cloak that was resting on the ground. "If you check all the apparation signatures and the memories of everyone here, you will see that he was truly here, and that he will not be returning. Lord Voldemort is truly gone."

Fudge glanced from the Aurors and the members of the Order, to the Death Eaters, to the students, barely rested on Potter, and then finally to the pair sitting on the floor near a chalk circle. "Is he truly gone?" He tried to block the question, but it popped out filled with hopeful relief.

Harry glanced at his group. Their looks said the same thing, the Minister actually believed, but wouldn't warn the wizarding world.

Urd stood up, brushing off her skirt. "Yes, the demon Voldemort is truly sealed, and his vessel in this Realm, Tom Riddle aka the Dark Lord, is truly dead. All the horcruxes he had made are gone, he can not return."

Fudge's eyes skated up and down the almost indecently dressed woman. "And you are?"

Urd's eyes narrowed briefly as he reminded her of Umbridge. "I am Urd, Second Class Goddess, here to grant a wish of one worthy individual. His wish is now granted."

"A goddess..." He looked her over again. "What a remarkable claim. How can you prove it?"

Dumbledore looked from the white haired professor to the minister. He was already convinced, but then again, he watched her take out a demon.

Digging deep, Urd found she still had some power left. With a satisfied smile, she electrocuted the irritating man. She was just to tired to deal with irritating people. Turning her back on the sight, she looked at Severus. "Shall we go? I have a few things to pick up at Hogwarts, and then I have to stop by Asgard before heading to Keiichi's. After this.." She glanced back at Fudge. "..I have a feeling that I will be back on Administration duty."

Severus gathered up the glass flower and vanished the circle. "Harry, we'll see you back at Hogwarts."

Harry watched as they headed for a fireplace.

"Severus, I will like a meeting when we get back." Dumbledore's voice echoed about him as Urd carried them off through the fireplace.


	19. Chapter 19  Wrapping Up Loose Ends

Chapter 19 - Wrapping Up Loose Ends

_In case you didn't know, I don't own either the Potter universe (that one belongs to Ms. Rowling) or the Goddess Universe (that one belongs to Kōsuke Fujishima). The characters have just been telling me stories in my head. _

Urd and Snape emerged from Snape's fireplace. Finding the nearest chairs, they flopped down.

"It's over." Severus' shoulders slumped as the tension left them. Resting his head on the back of his chair he stared up at the ceiling. "Well, all but explaining it all to Dumbledore."

Urd cracked a smile. "Tell him it was your application for the now open Defense against Dark Arts position."

Severus jerked his head to stare at her. "Do you honestly think that he would accept that?"

"No, but how many other DADA teachers know how, and have experience in, to seal a demon? Surely that makes your credentials greater than any other applicants."

"I have always had better credentials, it just he doesn't want another potions master." He quirked an eyebrow towards her. "Are you willing to stay as one?"

Urd raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure the Ministry will approve."

Leaning forward slightly, Severus gave her a serious look. "Dumbledore hires the teachers, not the ministry. You might stand a chance. How could he turn down a potions master that is also a goddess?"

Urd lifted an eyebrow. "The same way he has turned down the most highly qualified DADA applicant all this time." She watched as a frown darkened his face. " Besides my task here is almost done, so I have to head back soon."

"Almost done? You have sealed a demon, destroyed the Dark Lord, and so ended my having to stay in two worlds... what is left to do?"

Urd felt a tired smile creep on to her face. "Remove the last vestige of the demon and the Dark Lord from you." Hoisting herself up, she crossed the couple of steps between them. "Let me see your left arm."

Holding his arm still, he raised an eyebrow. "You are worn out, I can see it. And what are you planning to do to it?"

Urd held out her hand, waiting. "I've enough power to finish the task. Sleeve up, let me see it."

Unbuttoning the cuff, he slowly pushed up the sleeve. The mark had faded to a dull gray.

Reaching over, Urd called up the bits of remaining power and slowly untangled the dull lines of power that were intertwined with the ink in the tattoo. Severus started when he heard her softly singing the song she always sung to repair the classroom after training. To his amazement, the tattoo faded into nothingness, leaving his forearm bare.

"There now we are done. Now you can walk in the light." Urd fell back into her chair, wishing for a strong drink. She was sure there was a bottle of sake in her old room, but she didn't feel like going to get it.

Holding back a sigh, Snape wished he had thought to have tea or something stronger waiting on them for when they returned. Glancing at the other occupant of his study, he remembered all that had occurred to bring them to this point. Suddenly, he realized that she never had a chance to make her potion. And he didn't even know what the real potion she wanted to make was. Clasping his fingers lightly in his lap, he contemplated the tired face that was across from him. "What potion were you really researching that I have definitely interrupted?"

Folding her hands, she looked into the fireplace. "I need a potion that will keep a human young and alive indefinitely. I was hoping to have time to research the Philosopher's stone while I was here, as I discovered that it was capable of doing what I want. I had hoped to at least have determine the ingredient list." With a sigh, she pushed her hair back over her shoulder. She was tired and it was time to go. Pulling herself to her feet she leaned against the fireplace. "I have to go. There is nothing left in the room that I need except for the bottle of sake that is sitting in the corner. That is, unless you want it." She hoped he did, it would save her the walk.

"You are going back to Japan?" Severus tilted his head slightly.

"Eventually." Urd wondered where this was going.

"So, you will have access to good sake whenever you want?"

"Yes." She finally had a clue as to where he was going.

"Then I'll keep the sake. And about the philosopher's stone... I can do some research and let you know the ingredients if I find them, but I will need a way to contact you." He steepled his fingertips together as he watched her.

Resting her fingers on his mantel, she contemplated the flames. "Just call into the fire, it will let me know that you are looking for me."

As he watched her, his tired brain would not let go of the idea of her coming back. "You are coming back to Earth, right?" Urd nodded yes. "Then, honestly, why don't you come back here and teach potions? I'll see if I can convince Dumbledore to let you."

Urd considered what she had waiting back at Keiichi's. Teaching Skuld, who didn't want to learn potions from her, and Beldandy who was off to college with Keiichi most of the time. Not that she didn't mind pushing Bel's and Keiichi's relationship along, but it would be nice to have something to do here. "I'll ask Father and see what he say, and then I'll let you know."

"How?"

The question hung in the air a moment while she thought about it. "I'll send you a note, since you don't have a phone. And now I really do have to leave." She stepped into the fireplace. "Bye, Severus."

" 'Till later, Urd." As he watched her go, he was certain he was going to try and get her back. It was hard to let go of the one person he now considered a friend.

As she literal went up the floo, Severus heard his study door being opened. "Snape?" Filius' voice slipped through the room. "The Headmaster would like to see you."

Snape pulled himself up out of the chair. It was time to go face the music. Snagging the bag that had the glass flower in it, he joined Professor Flitwick.

Filius looked up at the tired potions master. "You don't seem surprised that Dumbledore is back."

Snape glanced down at the curious hobgoblin's face. "Not really, with Umbridge gone, it was pretty certain that he would be back."

"He went and retrieved her back from the centaurs. He just walked in there and walked back out." Flitwick hid the awe he felt.

Snape stepped onto the moving stairway that took them up to Dumbledore's office. _'I am so glad that they move. I am not sure that I can make it back to my room after this. I just want to sleep.'_ Stepping into the office, he saw the entire Order tucked into all the nooks and crannies. Harry and his team was there, too. Harry looked as tired as he felt.

Dumbledore watched as the tired potions master crossed the space between the door and his desk. "Severus, I think you have a bit of explaining to do."

Snape hefted the bag he was carrying and set it in the middle of the desk. "Yes, I guess I do." He glanced at Harry. "When we were out searching for rouge dementors after they attacked Harry, I called a squib to report a misuse of magic on a muggle artifact. I got the wrong number."

"I thought you had all the numbers memorized?" Dumbledore held out a bag. "Lemon drop?"

"No, thanks." Snape brushed the bag away. "I did. It was the phone that was the problem, I think."

"There was nothing wrong with the phone when we went to investigate." Arthur jumped into the conversation.

"There wasn't? Be that as it may, I ended up calling Urd and she came to grant the Wizarding world's one wish... that Voldemort" He barely kept himself from stumbling over the word, "would be gone, permanently." He glanced over at Harry. "The only thing I wish we could have changed was Harry's involvement."

Dumbledore looked at him, contemplating how much he should draw out of his reluctant member of the Order. Deciding he got as much as he could hope for in a roomful of people, he settled further back in his desk chair. "Where is that glass flower?"

Snape gestured to the bag. "I think it would be better for you to be its keeper than the Ministry."

Dumbledore slowly pulled the glowing glass flower out of the bag. Turning it about, he watched it catch the light. "I will take good care of this." Setting it on his desk, he smiled. "Thank you, Severus. You and Harry... " He looked about the room to the rest of the people perched where they could. "And all of you... have ended this war. And since it is over, I am declaring this the last official meeting of the Order."

The room sat in shocked silence. Finally, Sirius broke the silence. "The Order is disbanded?"

With a quiet nod, Dumbledore smiled. "Yes. Now it is time to relax and enjoy our lives." He smiled over at Black. "And you shall be exonerated. The Ministry is currently listening to what we are saying, and we can prove that Pettigrew was still around and that he was in league with Voldemort. "

Sirius felt a weight lifted off his shoulders. "Can I take Harry in? Since he isn't going to be hunted anymore?"

"Of course, as long as Harry agrees." Dumbledore looked over at the green eyed boy who was almost asleep.

Harry eyes flickered between Dumbledore and Sirius. "I can?" When Dumbledore nodded, he smiled. "Then I would love to."

Snape felt the warmth of a nearby fire seeping into his bones, replacing the last of the adrenaline. "Professor Dumbledore, if we are finished?" He glanced towards the door.

"Go get some rest. Any other questions can be answered later. Good night everyone."

As the members filtered out of the office, Snape heard them discussing a large party to be given at the Black's house once his name was cleared. As he stumbled off to his room, he noticed that Fawkes trailed behind him. When he made it to his room, Fawkes flew off.

The next morning, when he walked into his study, he was greeted with the headmaster sitting next to his fireplace.

Dumbledore gestured towards Snape's desk. "A piece of paper came out of your fireplace earlier. I set it on your desk."

Snape picked up the Japanese styled envelope. Opening it carefully he read the contents. Holding it carefully, he turned back to Dumbledore. "What do I owe the honor of your visit?"

"Was she really a goddess? The others don't believe, that is, the students do, but the other adults doubt it." He examined his fingertips before looking up at Severus. "They think what she did was the neatest piece of wandless magic they had seen, but that she was just an ordinary wizard."

Snape contemplated the older man while he considered his answer. He decide just to stick with the truth. You never knew just how much Dumbledore really knew or could tell when you were talking to him. "Yes, she was. She made it possible for Harry to fulfill his destiny."

"Ah, so that is how it was to come about. So, she wasn't really a potions master." Dusting his hands on his robe, he stood up.

"Urd really is a potions master, as well." Severus clenched the letter tight in his hand.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Is there a way to convince a goddess to become the Potions Master of Hogwarts, the position seems to be open after fourteen years of service?"

"Open?" Snape felt a seed of doubt bury themselves deep inside.

Dumbledore just smiled.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20 - Epilogue 

_In case you didn't know, I don't own either the Potter universe (that one belongs to Ms. Rowling) or the Goddess Universe (that one belongs to Kōsuke Fujishima). The characters have just been telling me stories in my head. _

_An: This chapter is dedicated to Greyfalcon, without whom it would be sorely lacking in content. Thanks for all the reviews._

_The story is dedicated to Raya_Light and Elflina, who beta-ed as much as they could and help me not stop at the tenth chapter. And finally to Pooka-chan, with her love of all things crossover, who on one long night convinced me, who tends to love cannon, to come up with crossover ideas and this was born. _

Snape watched the first years march into the dining hall. The year had turned, summer had passed, and it was time to start again. That summer had been a bit tough as he dodged all the inquiries from the members of the Order. They all wanted to know what had happened, and how he learned to cast a circle spell. _'At least my reputation was in place, they finally gave up and left me alone.'_ Settling back in his chair, he watched as the first years were sorted. A good fourth of them were finding their way into his house. The Slytherins greeted them happily. He smirked as he remembered that the Order had been harder to dodge than the newspaper. Of course The Prophet would always just publish whatever it thought when they couldn't get the interview that they wanted. _'They started out plastering my past everywhere. They were having a fit because I wasn't to be put on trial, but I was a Death Eater in the Ministry that night.'_ His gaze shifted over to Harry. _'Harry finally got fed up with it, that and them constantly declaring that he destroyed Voldemort alone. It was quite the press conference when he told the Ministry and the rest of the wizarding world that I was the one that took out Voldemort and all he did was take out some guy called Tom Riddle. Then he credited the Order for handling the Death Eaters, and then Dumbledore for helping him with Tom Riddle. Not once did he mention Urd. The Minister did, but since she had vanished no one could interview her. So, instead the press had a field day, writing what ever they wanted.' _ He felt his smirk try to become a smile at some of the outrageous things they had written. They were, of course, no where close._ 'The end result was that I was cleared of all charges and the rest of my wish came true. It is known that I have been for the Light since before the end of the first war.' _

His gaze rested on Draco. He was now Lord Malfoy since his father, Lucius, was residing in Azkaban for the rest of his life. The courts had stripped him of his rank and had also broken his wand. _'That was the punishment of all the Death Eaters that were in the Ministry that evening. Though Dumbledore is heading up a committee to see how much of what they did was under the demon's control. I think he is angling to get some of them free. I don't know if the public is going to buy into the controlled angle again. But even if he does win their freedom from Azkaban, they will never hold rank or wand again.'_ Shifting his gaze, he met Harry's. The boy, he still thought of him as one even thought he had proved that he was an adult, looked happier than Snape had ever seen him. _'Black's exoneration was a blessing for Harry. They are together now, and Black is finally learning just how much of a handful that kid can be.'_ It had been fun watching Black mature rapidly when he became legally responsible for someone else. Snape could almost like him now. Almost. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted McGonagall placing the hat on the next first year's head. She had come back as healthy and stubborn as she had always been.

As the last first year was sorted, he noticed that the atmosphere was less tense this year than he could ever remember it being. The students' laughter seemed more genuine, the teachers' smiles seemed more truthful. This year was going to be special. It will be the first year since he started at Hogwarts that the threat of Voldemort didn't hang in the air. That was a threat that had hung especially heavy the last couple of years. This year seemed like a breath of fresh air.

The room fell silent when Dumbledore stood up. "I know that you are all anxiously awaiting the amazing dinner that is coming as much as I am, but we have just a few announcements first. We have a new teacher this year."

A small hub-bub started around the tables. Harry and the others knew it would be a new DADA teacher, it always was.

Dumbledore continued once silence returned to the room. "I shall go ahead and let you know that The Defense Against Dark Arts will be filled by our own Professor Severus Snape."

The shocked silence that filled the room didn't surprise Snape. It echoed the same shock he had felt when Dumbledore had offered it to him the morning after the major battle in his study. He had tried not to sputter when he asked why it was being offered to him now. The answer had silenced him. _'I never knew that the position was rally cursed. I thought that it was just a rumor, like a school myth. That was why he never offered it to people he really wanted to keep around, or would be able to keep around in Lupin's case. He knew that as soon as it was leaked that Lupin was a werewolf, he would have to let him go. But he asked Lupin just so the students could have at least one competent teacher. But now that Voldemort is gone, the curse is broken. And that is why he offered it to me.'_ He was pulled out of his musing when a lone clap resounded from the house tables. What shocked him most was that it was from the Gryffindor table. Looking over towards the sound, he spotted Harry clapping right before the other students joined in.

Dumbledore waited patiently for the clapping to end before he continued. "And now on to our new professor. She is going to step into Professor Snape's previous position. She comes in on his recommendation, and many of you might recognize her. Professor Megumi Urd will be our new Potions Master."

Harry, Hermione, Ron, and the others that were in the Ministry that fateful night stared in amazement before they started clapping. Draco paled slightly, remembering his first encounter with her.

Dumbledore turned to Urd. "And now Professor Urd, if you will please be sorted?" He gestured towards the stool with the sorting hat still sitting on it.

Urd glanced over at Severus before she walked to the stool. She had agreed that it would be okay to be sorted but only if it was in front of the entire school. She figured that since all the students were placed by their characteristics, and they could easily find out the house affiliation of their teachers, it was only fair that they knew the same for her. _'And this way, I can let them know that I am not to be messed with. They know good and well not to mess with a Slytherin.'_ She sat on the stool and nodded to the Deputy Head Mistress. McGonagall settled the hat on her head. As the brim passed over her eyes, she heard the hat speaking in her head. _"What do we have here? One of the three Norns, the Goddess of the Past? Where should I place you..."_

"Slytherin will work for me since I have it on the best authority you won't change how you place people."

"But the loyalty there towards your sisters... that would make you Hufflepuff."

"Oh, I agree that Hufflepuff would be great if I was a student. You really should place them according to their weaknesses, but I am going to be a teacher. So, since I am not that hardworking, I should not be placed in Hufflepuff. No, I think it should be Slytherin." The sound that the hat made told her that it didn't believe her.

_"You could be Gryffindor, you are courageous enough."_

"I want to be placed in Slytherin."

"Fine."

The split in the hat cried out "Slytherin!"

Snape almost destroyed his reputation by laughing at Dumbledore's face. The headmaster, at least to those who could knew him well enough to tell, seemed struck dumb by the thought of a goddess being placed into the Slytherin house.

oOOOooOOooo

The first potions class walked through the door not knowing what to expect. The first year Slytherin and Gryffindor class were surprised to see the new Potions Master sitting on the table, legs crossed, with her robe falling at just the right angle to expose the leg from mid thigh down. They moved to their customary spots.

"Welcome to the oldest form a magic. Long before the first witch picked up a stick to point at someone, long before a wizard even thought to make a broom float through the air, potions were made. The were made to cure, to defend, to harm... all out of the pot that made them dinner."

One of the Slytherins raised an eyebrow towards her. "Are you saying that this is just like cooking?"

Urd's smile was left them wishing she hadn't. "As much as there is a similarity between a master chef cooking and a kitchen newbie. And right now, you are all newbies. Put your cauldrons away. Today we shall see how good you are at ingredient preparations. Remember, the ingredients that you cut today, you will be using in your own potions later." She moved so that they could see the examples set on the demo table behind her. "You shall mince, dice, fine chop, coarse chop, sliver, matchstick and grind all the ingredients you see here. Get busy." She swept away from the table and walked the room, watching them carefully. Tomorrow she would see if they could read a recipe.


End file.
